EOHHS Listening Session Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Waiver Renewal Application: Children’s Autism Spectrum Disorder Waiver April 8, 2020
Webex/Conference Call Logistics ▪ To avoid echo, background noise, and disruptive feedback on this call, please place yourself on MUTE – In Webex, find the microphone icon and click to MUTE - Or - – On your telephone, use the MUTE function ▪ If you would like to speak after our brief presentation – In Webex, use the “raise hand” or chat function to alert moderator that you wish to speak - Or - – On your telephone, briefly unmute yourself and let us know you wish to speak Thank you! | 1
Agenda ▪ Introductions ▪ Overview of Waiver Renewal and Updates ▪ Process & Timeline ▪ Public Comments | 2
Common Acronyms and Terms CMS Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services EOHHS Executive Office of Health and Human Services HCBS Home and Community Based Services LICSW Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker LMHC Licensed Mental Health Counselor MassHealth The Massachusetts Medicaid Program DDS Department of Developmental Services RBT Registered Behavior Technician | 3
Overview: Massachusetts is renewing the Children’s Autism Spectrum Disorder Waiver ▪ CMS typically approves Home and Community Based Services waivers for a period of five years; then the state must apply to renew the waiver. ▪ The Autism Waiver’s current 5-year period ends 9/30/2020. ▪ MassHealth and DDS jointly developed the renewal application. ▪ The draft waiver renewal application is posted for a 30-day public comment period that ends on April 15, 2020. ▪ Today we are holding a listening session to hear public comment about the renewal application. | 4
Overview: Updates to the Autism Waiver as part of renewal ▪ Increasing both overall waiver capacity and the point-in-time limit on the number of participants ▪ Increasing the annual service budget for participants and raising limits on certain services ▪ Making updates to certain services to improve participants’ and families’ access to and experience with waiver services ▪ Other technical changes to improve organization of the waiver application document and align language with other HCBS waiver applications | 5
Autism Waiver Capacity: Modest Growth Over Next 5 Years Waiver Year (WY) Maximum # Point-in-Time (Oct. 1 – Sept. 30) Participants Per Year Limit Current (2019 – 2020) 380 280 WY1 (2020 – 2021) 400 300 WY2 (2021 – 2022) 410 310 WY3 (2022 – 2023) 420 320 WY4 (2023 – 2024) 430 330 WY5 (2024 – 2025) 440 340 | 6
Increasing budget limits for participants Increasing the annual budget limit from $25,000 to $28,000 for children in their first three years of waiver participation • The cost of fences and vehicle modifications will now be excluded from that limit • The annual budget limit for services other than Expanded Habilitation, Education will increase from $5,500 to $6,000 Increasing the annual budget for participants in step-down (after the first three years of participation in waiver services) from $7,500 to $8,500 Increasing the annual limit for Individual Goods and Services from $1,500 to $1,700 Increasing annual limit for Assistive Technology from $800 to $1,200 | 7
Updates to waiver services Adding LICSW/LMHC as a provider type for Family Training to increase families’ options for providers, and updating the service definition to focus on identifying and addressing barriers, facilitate readiness, and enhance family engagement in waiver services Adding Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) to expand access to agency-based providers and increase options for families in three core waiver services: • Expanded Habilitation, Education • Behavioral Supports & Consultation • Community Integration Changing self-direction for Homemaker services from employer and budget authority to budget authority only to make it easier for families to access qualified providers | 8
All current Autism Waiver services will continue to be available Expanded Habilitation, Home Modifications and Education Adaptations Behavioral Supports and Individual Goods and Consultation Services Respite Vehicle Modifications Community Integration Assistive Technology Family Training Homemaker | 9
Process: HCBS Waiver Renewals 1. DDS and MassHealth collaborate to identify updates 2. Gather public input 3. Review public comments and make additional revisions to renewal application where appropriate 4. Request CMS approval 5. Implement updates when new waiver authorization period begins | 10
Timeline Request approval from CMS at least three months prior to end of current waiver authorization period Target renewal Current waiver cycle New waiver cycle submission date ends begins June 2020 September 30, 2020 October 1, 2020 | 11
Public Comment: EOHHS requests public input ▪ Last day to submit comments: April 15, 2020 ▪ Comments can be emailed to EOHHS: – HCBSWaivers@State.MA.US ▪ Renewal application and this presentation are posted online: – https://www.mass.gov/service-details/home-and-community-based- services-waiver-renewal-applications-public-input-process ▪ Hard copies of the renewal application available upon request. – Email request to HCBSWaivers@state.ma.us | 12
Public Comment: Oral Comment at Today’s Listening Session ▪ Share your input with us today – Please state your name and affiliation (e.g., waiver participant, family member, waiver service provider, etc.) ▪ Oral comment at today’s session does not need to be submitted in writing ▪ If you wish to provide comments but are unable to do so during today’s session, please email your comments to HCBSWaivers@state.ma.us by Friday, April 15th Thank you! | 13
Recommend
More recommend
