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CHC Participant Transition from PPL to Tempus Delayed Until July 1st

Erin Guay

The Financial Management Services (FMS) transition from Public Partnership Limited (PPL) to Tempus for Community HealthChoices (CHC) participants who use the self-directed model of care will now start July 1, 2022 instead of April 1, 2022. This delay was announced at the FMS Stakeholder Meeting held February 18th. The meeting presentation is available here. The decision to delay the start date for this transition was made to allow more time for CHC participants who serve as the Common Law Employers and their caregivers/Direct Care Workers to complete the necessary trainings and paperwork and ease concerns raised by numerous stakeholders about the pace of the transition.  

Direct care workers should continue submitting timesheets to PPL for the next couple of months. For now, PPL will also continue to enroll new direct care workers that a CHC participant hires. Even though the Tempus start date has been delayed, impacted CHC participants and their caregivers/direct care workers must continue to take action to ensure that the upcoming transition from PPL to Tempus goes as smoothly as possible and to avoid disruptions in payments and care. CHC participants will soon receive a letter from their CHC Plan with more information about the transition and timelines. 

Action Steps for Impacted Consumers & Workers:  

1) Update e-mail addresses and phone numbers with Tempus by the end of March.  

CHC participants who are the Common Law Employer (CLE) and all of their direct care workers (DCWs) must make sure that Tempus has a current email address and current phone numbers.  

  • Tempus is using email and phone numbers to share transition information and contact people about the status of transition packets.   
  • At the end of March, Tempus plans to email people with an invitation link to register for Tempus’ Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) system. People will not be able to register with Tempus’ system without getting an email invitation. CHC participants and their DCWs must register with Tempus’ system to clock in and out for shifts, complete timesheets, and approve time. These actions will be necessary for the caregiver to get paid. 
  • People can provide email addresses and phone numbers to Tempus through the transition packets or through Tempus’ website here. Individuals who need help getting this information to Tempus can ask their CHC Service Coordinator for help or contact Tempus at 1-844-983-6787 or PAFMS@tempusunlimited.org. 
  • People will need to make sure to notify Tempus of any changes to email addresses or phone numbers both before and after July 1st.  
  • Tempus has posted training videos about setting up emails for people who need this information.  You can find these videos here.  

 

2) Get trained about Tempus’ Timekeeping System by the end of May.  

The system caregivers will use to clock in and out and complete timesheets will change from what PPL uses to what Tempus uses. The system that CHC participants/CLEs will use to approve time will also change. Both caregivers/DCWs and CHC participants should attend a training session to learn about Tempus’ system.   

  • Direct care workers on Payroll Schedule A will start to use Tempus’ system to clock in and out starting June 5th. Those on Payroll Schedule B will start to use Tempus’ system on June 12th.
  • People can participate in the trainings online or by calling-in. Trainings are held Monday through Saturday including some evening sessions. Click here for the schedule of trainings and information about how to join a training.  
  • Tempus has posted training videos on its website here. The EVV Town Hall covers the Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) system for participants and direct care workers. The other video covers using a land line telephone system (called IVR) to record shifts.   

 

3) Complete Tempus transition packet before June.

At the February 18th stakeholder meeting, Tempus reported getting 52 percent of CHC Participant/CLE packets returned and 46 percent of direct care worker packets. In mid-February, Tempus mailed transition packets to all CHC participants and their direct care workers who had not returned their packets. People should return their packets as soon as possible to avoid problems with their workers getting paid on July 1st.   

  • Tempus recently sent email, phone and text messages to CHC participants and direct care workers whose email or phone information it had. People should have received one of the following messages: 
    • Transition packet was received and processed 
    • Transition packet was not received and is being re-mailed
    • If a person returned a packet and did not get a message, it may mean the packet is incomplete.  Such individuals should expect to be contacted by Tempus soon. 
  • People can check the status of their transition packet by contacting Tempus at 1-844-983-6787 or by asking their CHC Service Coordinator. 
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Other Transition Information:

  • Tempus has taken steps to improve its call center and reduce the wait time before connecting with a representative. They now have a call back feature so people can receive a call from Tempus instead of waiting on hold. The Tempus Call Center number is 1-844-983-6787.  
  • Tempus plans to schedule in-person trainings across Pennsylvania in upcoming months. They are also developing How-to Guides on various topics related to submitting and approving timesheets. Continue checking Tempus’ website for updated information and training opportunities. 
  • Tempus is working on translating the transition packets into other languages and is looking to improve the accessibility of its trainings for people who speak a language other than English and/or who have sensory disabilities.  
  • FMS Stakeholder Meetings will continue. The next meeting is scheduled for March 4th at 1pm. Click here to join the Office of Long Term Living Community HealthChoices email listserv to get information about how to join this meeting.  
  • The Office of Long-Term Living created an email address where people can submit questions about the FMS transition: RA-PWOLTLFMSTrans@pa.gov. Questions will be addressed during the stakeholder meetings.  

 

Stay tuned for future updates about the FMS Transition for CHC participants.