|
Dear
DDA Stakeholder:
The
Department
of Social and Health Services’ (DSHS) Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) is in the process of preparing
to file two Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Waiver amendments with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). They include:
- A fifth amendment for the Individual and Family Services (IFS) waiver; and
- First amendment for the Basic Plus, Core and Community Protection HCBS waivers.
Stakeholders have an opportunity to review the draft waiver amendments before they go to CMS. The official 30-day public comment
period is April 12 through May 12, 2018.
The amendments are long documents (332-471 pages each) so this is a brief
summary:
- DSHS proposes to increase the unduplicated participant count in the IFS waiver from 6860 to 8100 in waiver years 3-5 (this increase will account for those new clients who moved onto the IFS waiver after attrition); the point-in-time capacity will remain unchanged at 6500 participants for waiver years 3-5.
- DSHS proposes to revise language concerning the post-eligibility treatment of income in the Basic Plus, Core and Community Protection waivers, which will align them with proposed revisions in Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 182-515-1514. The existing waivers contain language limiting the deductibility of guardianship fees to $175 per month; in the proposed WAC and waiver amendments, guardianship fees up to $225 per month will be permitted.
We believe neither of these proposed changes will have negative impacts on current or future DDA waiver participants.
You can read the full amendments on our website. Official notices are also located in the Washington State Register and in our field service offices.
Send your comments to Bob Beckman during the comment period.
All
future announcements of waiver amendments, waiver renewals, and new waivers will
be made using this communication system in addition to the Washington Register and
flyers in DDA office lobbies.
Ann
Whitehall, Waiver Services Unit Manager
|
