NEW: AAA-Set Minimum C-Screen Ratings

While Pennsylvania implemented a standardized statewide screening framework, some Area Agencies on Aging have taken the next step – using C-Screen Ratings not only as an evaluation tool, but as a qualification requirement.

The Lackawanna County Area Agency on Aging, for example, established a minimum C-Screen Rating that providers must meet in order to contract. Rather than relying solely on narrative reviews or regulatory checklists, the agency translated screening quality into a measurable eligibility threshold.

This represents a meaningful shift in risk governance.

Instead of screening standards serving as guidance, they become enforceable benchmarks.
Instead of eligibility being assumed, it is earned through demonstrated workforce controls.
Instead of oversight occurring after an incident, risk is evaluated before exposure begins.

A Move Toward Underwriting Discipline

From a risk management perspective, this approach mirrors core insurance principles:

• Setting minimum risk characteristics prior to participation

• Conditioning eligibility on demonstrated controls

• Using leading indicators to manage exposure upstream

Importantly, this model does not remove local discretion. Providers that fall below the minimum rating receive transparent insight into their score and clear guidance on how to improve. The result is a structured feedback loop that strengthens screening practices across the provider network – while reducing preventable exposure for both the agency and the Commonwealth.

By establishing minimum screening thresholds, proactive AAAs demonstrate that public-sector oversight can operate with underwriting-level discipline – without adding unnecessary administrative burden.