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Americans with Disabilities Act

Title III of the ADA mandates that public accommodations, such as a Provider’s office, be accessible to those with disabilities. The provisions of the ADA protect qualified individuals with a disability from:

  • Exclusion from participation in the benefits of services, programs or activities of a public entity.
  • Denial of the benefits of services, programs or activities of a public entity.
  • Discrimination by any such entity.

Providers should ensure that their offices are as accessible as possible to persons with disabilities.

Providers are required to comply with ADA accessibility guidelines. PA Health & Wellness must inspect the office of any Provider who provides services on-site at the Provider’s location and who seeks to participate in the Provider Network to determine whether the office is architecturally accessible to persons with mobility impairments. Architectural accessibility means compliance with ADA accessibility guidelines with reference to parking (if any), path of travel to an entrance, and the entrance to both the building and the office of the Provider, if different from the building entrance.

If the office or facility is not accessible under the terms of this paragraph, the Provider may participate inthe Provider Network provided that the Provider: 

  • Requests and is determined by PA Health & Wellness to qualify for an exemption from this paragraph, consistent with the requirements of the ADA, or 
  • Agrees, in writing, to remove the barrier to make the office or facility accessible to persons with mobilityimpairments within one hundred eighty (180) days after PA Health & Wellness has identified the barrier.

Providers should also make efforts to provide appropriate accommodations such as large print materials and easily accessible doorways. PA Health & Wellness offers sign language and telephonic interpreter services at no cost to the Provider or Participant. Call your Provider Relations Representative at 1-844-626-6813 for more information.

Reporting Suspected Abuse and Neglect

All PA Health & Wellness Providers and their employees and administrators of a facility are mandatory reporters of suspected physical and/or sexual abuse and neglect of PA Health & Wellness Participants.

This requirement is further detailed under the Older Adult Protective Services Act and the Adult Protective Service Act. These laws have been established in order to detect, prevent, reduce, and eliminate, abuse, neglect, exploitation and abandonment of adults in need including PA Health & Wellness Community HealthChoices Participants. If you suspect elder abuse or the abuse of an adult with a disability call Adult Protective Services at 1-800-490-8505, available 24 hours a day.

Abuse is defined by PA Code 15.2 as one or more of the following acts:

  • the infliction of injury, unreasonable confinement, intimidation or punishment with resulting physical harm, pain or mental anguish 
  • the willful deprivation by a caretaker of goods or services necessary to maintain physical or mental health 
  • sexual harassment, rape, or abuse. Sexual abuse of a participant is defined as intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly causing or attempting to cause the rape of, involuntary sexual intercourse with, sexual assault of, statutory sexual assault of, aggravated indecent assault of, indecent assault of, or incest with a Participant.

Neglect is the failure to provide for oneself or the failure of a caretaker to provide goods or services essential to avoid a clear and serious threat to physical or mental health.

Common Signs of Abuse:

  • Bruises or broken bones
  • Weight loss
  • Memory loss
  • Personality changes
  • Social isolation
  • Changes in banking habits
  • Giving away assets such as money, property, etc.

For further information, please refer to the DHS website.