Pennsylvania’s Long Term Care Grant Program​

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania administers the Long Term Care Grant Program under the auspices of the Long Term Care Transformation Office (LTCTO), funded through civil money penalties (CMPs) imposed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). These CMPs are levied on Medical Assistance Nursing Facilities (MA NFs), general nursing facilities (NFs), and dually certified Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNF/NFs) for noncompliance with Medicare and/or Medicaid participation requirements. The purpose of the program is to reinvest these federal penalties into projects that improve the quality of life and care for residents in long-term care settings across the state. This grant program encourages initiatives that apply evidence-based practices and innovative quality improvement measures that have a tangible impact on nursing facility residents. Eligible initiatives can include educational projects, quality assurance training, resident or family engagement initiatives, and interventions that foster movement, social interaction, and improved mental well-being. Projects must fall outside the scope of the facility's routine operations and must not be used to supplement existing statutory responsibilities or appropriated funding. The program accepts applications from a broad range of entities including advocacy organizations, family councils, state agencies, academic institutions, vendors, and CMS-certified long-term care facilities. However, applicants must not have any conflicts of interest or be receiving funding from state or federal sources to perform the same function proposed in the CMP grant. Further, entities that failed to meet the objectives of a prior CMP-funded initiative are barred from reapplying for three years unless failure was due to circumstances beyond their control. The funding structure provides a maximum of $5,000 per nursing home annually for each of the four project categories: Resident or Family Councils, Consumer Information, Training to Improve Quality of Care, and Activities to Improve Quality of Care. Specific spending restrictions include disallowing the use of funds for operational salaries, capital improvements, regulatory compliance maintenance, bonuses, or unrelated services. All applications must be submitted electronically and must include a completed application form, a cover letter, letters of support (with CMS Certification Numbers listed), an itemized budget, and a total document length not exceeding 20 pages. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and are reviewed collaboratively by representatives from the Pennsylvania Departments of Health, Human Services, and Aging. Following state-level evaluation, recommended projects are submitted to the CMS regional office for final approval. There is no guaranteed funding as awards are contingent upon fund availability and CMS approval. Grant contracts are managed by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. Awardees must submit quarterly reports within 15 days after each quarter's close and a final report within 30 calendar days of project completion. These reports must address project purpose, expected and actual outcomes, beneficiary reach, and sustainability plans. All reports and correspondence, including application submissions and progress updates, are to be sent to ra-pwcmpgrants@pa.gov.