PENNSYLVANIA
Pennsylvania Department of Human Services
PA Office of Developmental Programs (ODP)
PROGRAMS FOR
Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (18 and under)
Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (Adult)
IMPORTANT PROGRAM NOTICES
PPL will begin completing MyAccount monthly training for SC/AE running from November 2024 through December 2025. Click below to see dates and times of the monthly training, then just click the link at the training time to join.
Sign into MyAccount here! MyAccount has replaced BetterOnline in PA ODP.
PPL is excited to begin accepting new enrollments March 1, 2024. We look forward to scheduling enrollments then.
Running into rate or service issues? Not to worry. Remember you can create those missed shifts manually once the issue is resolved, click here for instructions.
Please see this document for responsibilities for individuals utilizing the VFEA FMS
Overview
The Pennsylvania Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) offers several Medicaid waiver programs designed to support individuals with intellectual disabilities, autism, and developmental disabilities. These programs serve both children and adults, each with specific eligibility criteria:
- Person/Family Directed Support (PFDS) Waiver: This waiver is available to individuals of any age with an intellectual disability or autism. It also serves children under age 9 with a developmental disability that has a high probability of resulting in an intellectual disability or autism diagnosis, and individuals under age 22 with a developmental disability due to a medically complex condition. This is a capitated waiver.
- Community Living Waiver: This waiver supports individuals of any age with an intellectual disability or autism. It also includes children under age 9 with a developmental disability likely to result in an intellectual disability or autism diagnosis, and individuals under age 22 with a developmental disability due to a medically complex condition. This is a capitated waiver.
- Consolidated Waiver: Available to individuals of any age with an intellectual disability or autism, this waiver also serves children under age 9 with a developmental disability that has a high probability of resulting in an intellectual disability or autism diagnosis, and individuals under age 22 with a developmental disability due to a medically complex condition. Unlike the PFDS and Community Living Waivers, the Consolidated Waiver does not have a specified individual cost limit.
In summary, ODP’s waiver programs provide services to both children and adults with intellectual disabilities, autism, and developmental disabilities, with eligibility varying based on age, diagnosis, and specific program criteria.
Participants/Common Law Employer can
Work with a Supports Coordinator to develop an Individual Support Plan (ISP) for their needs and individual goals.
Find, hire, manage, and dismiss your Support Service Professionals (SSP).
Use MyAccount to monitor your SSP’s hours and spending.
Use MyAccount or Time4Care to review, approve, and submit your SSP’s timesheets.
Choose a Support Service Professional (SSP), if additional support is needed
Purchase approved goods and services
Purchase Transportation (Mile) and Public Transportation.
Monitor spending in real time in MyAccount.
Services include
Payroll – We process payroll for your SSP using money from your budget.
Employment tax requirements – We handle all employment-related taxes for you, including federal, state, local, and unemployment.
Enrollment support – Assists with completing enrollment paperwork for the Participant/Common-Law Employer (CLE) and their SSP(s).
Customer service – Our friendly and professional customer service agents are available 6 days a week to help you with any questions.
Service reports – With our reports you’ll always have a clear picture of the services you’ve received.
Goods & Services – We process payments for goods and services purchased by the participants using their allocated budget funds
Self-Directed Care FAQ
Congratulations on signing up for self-direction! Here are answers to some questions we often get from participants and caregivers.
Answers for Participants, Common Law Employers (CLES) and your Support Service Professional (SSP):
Healthcare does love those TLAs (three-letter acronyms)! Here are some used in this FAQ:
SSP – Support Service Provider. Just a fancy way of saying care worker.
Participant – Person receiving services
CLE – Common Law Employer. As a participant in a self-determined care program, you become the employer of your SSP. You also may choose someone to be the employer.
There are user guides for CLEs and SSPs towards the bottom of the PA ODP program info page on our website.
Any changes can be made directly in MyAccount.
The SC can submit a referral through MyAccount. If they are not in the MyAccount system, they will need to reach out to their SC Lead Role and ask them to add them to MyAccount. Once added to MyAccount, please submit the referral through MyAccount by clicking on the Enrollment Dashboard and then clicking Add New Referral.
Answers for participants and CLEs (Common Law Employers):
Just use the support broker choice form on the website and send it to the email shown.
Under your Enrollment Dashboard, click on Reimbursements, click Add Reimbursements, Follow instructions to add mileage. (Direct Deposit must be set up prior to entering this request).
Requests should be submitted at the beginning of the fiscal year. And requests have to be submitted by the 17th of each month. Requests can only be processed by PPL from the 20th to the 25th of each month.
Annually (Once per year.) Uber/SEPTA requests should be submitted at the end of the budget year for the following budget year.
The CLE needs to complete the Participant Referral Form, with the CLE Change checked and filled out completely. Please send the completed form to the email address listed on the form. An Enrollment Specialist from PPL will then reach out to the CLE to complete enrollment.
Answers for SSPs (Support Service Providers):
The amount of tax withheld from your paycheck is based on the information and deductions you entered on the W-4 when you enrolled in the program. The amount of withholding can be changed at any time by filing another W-4 with new information about your dependents and filing status. Taxes may be affected if you reside with the participant. You enter information in MyAccount that determines whether your living situation exempts you from federal taxes.
Please ask a tax consultant for more information about tax deductions.
The provider will need to log into MyAccount and click on:
- Change under the My Enrollment Tile.
- Then Click on Enrollment
- Click Edit Enrollment
- Click Tax Information
- Update information, as necessary
- Click Next, through the tax questions, requirements.
- Click Save after the last tax screen (the side menu will show that Personal Information for CBC underlined)
Authorized overtime (over 40 hours a week) is paid at 50% of the regular pay rate. Your pay stub has one line showing the amount of regular pay, and another for the 50% overtime pay.
When two staff are working with one participant at the same time, staff must clock in and out at the exact same time. If you do not, the shift will pend and your employer will need to reject it for you to correct. This is a program rule.
PPL encourages you to sign-up for direct deposit. You will receive a physical check for your first payment. Once that check clears, future payments will be direct deposit.
Most errors will be flagged when you enter your time into the Time4Care mobile app. It’s easiest to make any corrections at this point.
If an error sneaks though, don’t panic! Notify your employer as soon as possible. They can reject the timesheet so you can make corrections.
Mileage should be entered in MyAccount, this ensures accurate and prompt payment. More info can be found in the MyAccount ODP Provider Guide. If you are a CLE submitting mileage, you must use the reimbursement form on the website.
If you are required to get a child abuse check, you also have to get an FBI check.
If there is a child in the home, a child abuse check is required.
If a child abuse check is required, then an FBI check is required.
Everyone is required to get a Criminal Background Check.
Everyone is required to get an Office of Inspector General (OIG) check.
The billable rate includes taxes, unemployment, worker’s comp, and other state taxes. The CLE can click on My Providers, then Services & Rates, click on billable rate under the correct service code to see the breakdown.
PPL does not tax transportation. The tax information on your paystub is for the time entries and not transportation.
Webinars
Check out a recording of a previous presentation:
Participants-Common Law Employers (CLE) Session A Recording
Check out the presentations from previous sessions:
Participants-Common Law Employers (CLE) Session A Presentation
How to get started
Are you wondering if self-direction is right for you or your loved one?
Time4Care™
Both participants (employers) and caregivers (employees) have lots of timekeeping to do when working in a self-direction program.
Time4Care is our highly rated mobile solution for Apple and Android smart devices.
Reminders to submit timesheets
Timesheet submission and approval alerts
Timesheet error checking
Offline time entry
Simple calendar interface
Privacy features
Documentation
Instant timesheet approval
Works right in the MyAccount/BetterOnline portal
Log in
Select the system your program uses to go to the login page.
Time4Care™
Log time and review, approve, and submit timesheets with ease.
Learn more about the benefits of Time4Care
Download on App Store Download on Google PlayPPL@Home
Our complete web app that puts everything you need as a self-director right at your fingertips.
Consumer Interest Form Personal Assistant Interest FormSign up for PPL@Home
Sign up with Your Email Address Sign up with Your Cell Phone NumberAlready Signed up? Sign in!
Sign in with Your Email Address Sign in with Your Cell Phone NumberMyAccount
MyAccount has everything you need to make sure your self-direction journey is a success. Designed for participants and caregivers, it lets you complete and check all required paperwork, timesheets, budgets and spending, with a focus on making the enrollment process easy.
It’ll make smooth sailing of any choppy waters you encounter while you’re getting set up, giving you the answers and forms you need, right when you need them.
Program Documents
FILTER DOCUMENTS
MyAccount
Guide to Submit a Rate Change NEW MyAccount – AE – SC Training MyAccount ODP Guide for Vendors MyAccount ODP Participant Guide MyAccount ODP Provider Guide PA ODP MyAccount Guide for Administrators Resetting Your PasswordPayroll Documents
Goods And Services Request Form Mileage Reimbursement Instructions PA ODP Invoice Schedule 2025 NEW PA ODP Paper Rate Sheet PA ODP Paper Rate Sheet Instructions PA ODP Pay Schedule 2025 NEW Purchasing Goods and Some Services Instructions Septa Request Form Temporary Transportation Mileage Log Uber Rideshare Request Form Vendor Service Descriptions Sheet Vendor ServicesProcedures & Information
Announcement – EVV Compliance Complaint/Grievance Form PA ODP CLE Session A Presentation PA ODP SSP Session B Presentation PA ODP Workers Compensation Information PA ODP Workers Compensation Information Sheet Participant Advocacy Committee Information and Application Support Broker Choice Form Welcome Page FAQReferral & Enrollment Process
ODP CLE Resource Guide Support Broker Choice Form Temporary Participant Referral FormContact Information
Customer Service / General Questions:
1-800-249-0861
Customer Service Email:
PAODP-CS@pplfirst.com