Pennsylvania · waiver service
OBRA Waiver in Pennsylvania
The OBRA Waiver is a Pennsylvania home and community-based waiver run by the Office of Long-Term Living for adults with severe developmental physical disabilities that began before age 22. It covers participant-directed personal assistance, so the participant can hire a relative (not a spouse or guardian), with Public Partnerships LLC (PPL) as the fiscal/employer agent.
Also called: OBRA · PA OBRA waiver · OBRA waiver participant directed · OLTL OBRA
Who do you care for?
Quick facts
- Pay
- Not published (rate raised Jan. 1, 2026)
- Adult children & other relatives
- Yes
- Spouse
- Not right now
- Parent of a minor child
- Not right now
- Waitlist
- possible
Who qualifies for OBRA Waiver
- Pennsylvania resident, age 18–59 at enrollment, with a severe developmental physical disability that began before age 22 and causes at least three substantial functional limitations (people who turn 60 while enrolled can stay).
- Needs an intermediate care facility (ICF/ORC) level of care.
- Meets Medical Assistance income and resource limits.
Who can be paid as the caregiver
- Adult children & other relatives Yes
- relatives can be direct care workers under participant direction.
- Spouse Not right now
- spouses, legal guardians, representative payees and power-of-attorney holders cannot be paid (pandemic exception ended May 11, 2023).
- Parent of a minor child Not right now
- OBRA serves adults; parents of adult children (not guardians) may be hired.
- Living together
- not required.
Who employs the caregiver: Either. Under participant direction the participant (or Common Law Employer) is the employer and PPL is the fiscal/employer agent; agency personal assistance is also available.
Spouse rules differ by program — see spouse pay in Pennsylvania.
How much OBRA Waiver pays
Not published (rate raised Jan. 1, 2026). OLTL raised the participant-directed personal assistance rate (W1792 / W1792 TU) for OBRA and Act 150 effective January 1, 2026, funded by $21 million in the FY2025/26 budget. The new dollar figure appears on the OLTL HCBS fee schedule; a worker wage figure is not published in the announcement.
Hours and budget: The service coordinator assesses needs and authorizes hours in the individual service plan.
Compare with other Pennsylvania programs on the Pennsylvania caregiver pay page, or across states in pay rates by state.
Is there a waitlist?
OBRA has a limited number of slots; a waiting list can form when full.
How to apply for OBRA Waiver
- Apply for Medical Assistance at your County Assistance Office.
- Call the Independent Enrollment Broker (1-877-550-4227) to discuss OBRA and choose a service coordination agency.
- Your service coordinator sends the referral to PPL; the participant/employer and worker complete PPL enrollment and training.
- The worker gets a unique ID and finishes pre-service orientation before paid hours start.
- PA Independent Enrollment Broker · 1-877-550-4227 · official site
- Public Partnerships LLC (PPL) — PA OLTL customer service · 877-908-1750 · official site
- OLTL Provider Inquiry Line · 800-932-0939 (option 2) · official site
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OBRA Waiver questions
Who is the OBRA Waiver for?
Adults with a severe physical disability that started before age 22, such as cerebral palsy or spina bifida, who need an intermediate-care level of care.
Can a parent be paid to care for an adult child on OBRA?
Yes, a parent of an adult participant can be the direct care worker if the parent is not the legal guardian, power of attorney or representative payee.
Can a spouse be paid?
No. Pennsylvania returned to its rule that spouses and legal guardians cannot be paid caregivers after May 11, 2023.
Who pays OBRA direct care workers?
Public Partnerships LLC (PPL) is the fiscal/employer agent for OLTL fee-for-service programs, including OBRA. PPL customer service is 877-908-1750.
Did OBRA caregiver pay go up?
Yes. OLTL raised the participant-directed personal assistance rate for OBRA and Act 150 effective January 1, 2026.
Sources: paproviders.org · pplfirst.com · phlp.org · pa.gov · Updated 2026-10-08. Program rules change — always confirm with the program.
Where most Pennsylvania caregivers are
Counties with the most residents aged 65 and older. The rules are the same everywhere in Pennsylvania — pick yours for the local picture.
Across the line
States that border Pennsylvania
Each state writes its own rules, and they differ more than people expect — a spouse who can be paid on one side of the line often cannot be on the other.