Dear DDA Stakeholder,
The Department of Social and Health Services’ Developmental Disabilities Administration is preparing amendments for waivers funded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Affected waivers include:
- Individual and Family Services
- Basic Plus
- Core
- Community Protection
- Children’s Intensive In-Home Behavioral Support
Stakeholders have an opportunity to review and comment on the draft waiver amendments before they are sent to CMS. The official 30-day public comment period is April 15, 2021, through May 15, 2021.
The amendments (380-627 pages) are available online beginning April 15, 2021. A brief summary follows.
DSHS and Health Care Authority intend to amend the IFS, Basic Plus, Core, Community Protection, and CIIBS waivers with an effective date of October 1, 2021. These amendments propose to:
- Modify how individual respite providers are contracted. In 2018, the Washington State Legislature passed Senate Bill 6199 authorizing DSHS to create a Consumer Directed Employer (CDE) Program. To implement this program, the State intends to file a concurrent §1915(b)(4) waiver application for Selective Contracting, which will apply to the IFS, Basic Plus, Core and CIIBS waivers;
- Add limitations for waiver transportation to exclude CDE and Home Care Agency providers;
- Add state-operated provider to Stabilization Services – Crisis Diversion Bed service;
- Revise provider qualifications for child foster home providers;
- Add qualified Specialized Habilitation providers as qualified Staff/Family Consultation providers;
- Add qualified Specialized Habilitation providers as qualified Stabilization Services – Staff/Family Home Consultation providers;
- Increase IFS waiver annual budget allocations 30% for each level:
- $1,200 annual allocation increases to $1,560;
- $1,800 annual allocation increases to $2,340;
- $2,400 annual allocation increases to $3,120; and
- $3,600 annual allocation increases to $4,680.
- Remove Speech, Hearing and Language Services, Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy from waivers. All participants currently receiving services proposed for removal will be transitioned to appropriate Medicaid State Plan services during their plan year 2021-2022.
The proposed change for contracting individual respite providers will have no negative impacts to participants on the IFS waiver. This is because the proposed increased hourly rates paid to individual respite providers under the CDE will be paid from increased annual budget allocations.
The proposed changes will have no negative impacts to participants on the Basic Plus, Core and CIIBS waivers. This is because respite allocations are calculated in hours rather than dollars. The proposed change will have little or no negative impact to respite transportation provided on the IFS, Basic Plus, Core and CIIBS waivers as waiver mileage will become a component of the respite provider’s rate.
The amendments can be read in their entirety on our website. Official notices are also located in the Washington State Register.
Send your comments to DDAWaiverAmendments@dshs.wa.gov during the comment period.
All future announcements regarding waiver amendments, waiver renewals, and new waivers will be made using this communication system in addition to the Washington Register.
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