What Participants Are Saying: Key Takeaways from Pennsylvania's 2025 HCBS CAHPS Survey

Pennsylvania's Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) recently shared results from the 2025 HCBS CAHPS Survey at the April Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) Subcommittee meeting. 

The survey, which measures the experiences of people receiving home and community-based services through Community HealthChoices (CHC) and OBRA waivers, offers important insight into what's working for participants—and where the state and managed care organizations still have some ground to cover.

The survey reflected notable strengths across several measures. Personal safety and respect scored between 94% and 96% across CHC and OBRA, and service coordinator helpfulness reached 99% for CHC participants—a jump from 91% the prior year. Staff communication also remained strong, with scores meeting or exceeding the state's 86% performance goal. These results suggest that many participants feel treated with dignity and have access to responsive service coordinators—both critical elements of quality care.

Other measures suggest areas where continued attention could make a real difference. Scores related to planning time and activities, community participation, transportation to medical appointments, and timely access to mental health treatment all came in below the 86% performance goal. Similarly, just 64% of CHC participants reported that their Person-Centered Service Plan (PCSP) included everything that's important to them. These are areas where targeted improvements could meaningfully strengthen participants' experience in CHC and OBRA going forward.

If you are having trouble getting the services in your CHC or OBRA plan, experiencing transportation barriers, or facing delays in accessing mental health or dental care, call PHLP's Helpline at 1-800-274-3258.