PHLP Launches Self-Help Toolkit for Personal Assistance Services (PAS) Appeals

The Pennsylvania Health Law Project (PHLP) is excited to announce the release of a new self-help toolkit aimed at helping Community HealthChoices (CHC) participants and their caregivers advocate for themselves in Personal Assistance Services (PAS) appeals.  

When a CHC plan denies or reduces a participant’s PAS hours, the participant can and should appeal! Our new comprehensive, interactive toolkit walks participants and caregivers through the most important information to gather and prepare related to their case at all levels of a PAS appeal. The toolkit guides participants and caregivers on how to prepare their arguments, how to create their own materials to strengthen their appeal, and what documents to collect to support their case.

Highlights of the toolkit include: 

• How to craft an argument to keep the same PAS hours OR get more PAS hours 

• How to create a daytime or nighttime schedule of tasks  

• How to present information about safety or supervision needs 

• How to discuss informal supports (unpaid care) during the appeal

The toolkit is part of PHLP’s broader initiative to empower CHC participants, caregivers, and other advocates in the PAS appeals process. The toolkit was created with consultation and collaboration from a focus group made up of CHC participants and caregivers who met with PHLP over the course of the last few months to provide input on the most helpfiul information to include. PHLP extends warmest gratitude to the focus group participants for their invaluable contributions to this work. 

Please contact Meggie McCarthy-White (MMccarthyWhite@phlp.org) at PHLP with any questions or feedback.