LBFC Report on Health and Human Services Hotlines
Last week, the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee (LBFC), a Joint Committee of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, released a study entitled, “A Report on the Pennsylvania Health and Human Services Hotlines.” The study determined that the cost for the hotlines, for which data was available, was more than $75,369,544 in FY 2018-19.
In comparison to the other hotlines in the study, PA 211 was able to produce a significant amount of information to the LBFC. Some hotlines were unable to provide data regarding call volume, disposition of calls, average wait times and county of origin. In addition, PA 211 is subject to annual audits demonstrating accountability and integrity of the operations of the hotline. In contrast, 18 hotlines could not provide cost data. Considering the current fiscal climate, PA 211 serves as a model for fiscal responsibility.