Dear DDA Stakeholder:
The Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) is in the process of preparing amendments for five waivers funded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Affected waivers include:
- Individual and Family Services
- Basic Plus
- Core
- Community Protection
- Children’s Intensive In-Home Behavioral Support (CIIBS)
Stakeholders have an opportunity to review and comment on the draft amendments before they are sent to CMS. The official 30-day public comment is January 16, 2019, through February 16, 2019.
The amendments (302-428 pages) are available online. A brief summary follows:
- DSHS and the Health Care Authority intend to amend the above-mentioned waivers effective July 1, 2019.
- The amendments propose to:
- Add new services:
- Specialized habilitation, - service for clients to learn or maintain a range of life skills, to the IFS, Basic Plus and CIIBS waivers;
- Complementary therapies, music therapy and equine therapy, to the CIIBS waiver;
- Person-centered plan facilitation to the CIIBS waiver;
- Community engagement to the Basic Plus, CIIBS and Core waivers;
- Specialized evaluation and treatment – sex offender treatment provider therapy (SOTP) to the IFS, Basic Plus, Core and CIIBS waivers; and
- Stabilization services – crisis diversion beds to the IFS waiver.
- Revise service options into new categories in the CIIBS waiver:
- $8,000 per waiver year for any combination of assistive technology, environmental adaptations, nurse delegation, specialized habilitation, specialized clothing, specialized medical equipment and supplies, specialized evaluation and treatment – sex offender treatment provider therapy (SOTP), staff/family consultation and training, therapeutic equipment and supplies, transportation and vehicle modifications;
- 125 hours of service per waiver year for any combination of person-centered plan facilitation, music therapy, equine therapy and community engagement.
- Re-define stabilization services in all five waivers to include:
- Staff/family consultation and training (existing service);
- Specialized habilitation (new service); and
- Crisis diversion bed services (existing service);
- Reorganize the following supports to be included in a new service called Specialized Evaluation and Treatment Services:
- Risk assessment (including polygraph and plethysmograph);
- Sex offender treatment program (SOTP) therapies; and
- Community protection program treatment.
- Revise the following service:
- Chemical extermination of bed bugs to become extermination of bed bugs; and
- Respite definition to include: personal care is incidental to the delivery of this service.
- Add provider types to the following services:
- Enhanced adult residential care to respite; and
- Teacher to staff/family consultation and training.
- Remove the following services:
- Community guide from Basic Plus and Core waivers (replaced by community engagement);
- Specialized psychiatric services from all waivers; and
- Pre-vocational services from the Basic Plus, Core and Community Protection waivers.
All participants currently receiving services proposed to be removed will transition to appropriate Medicaid state plan or other waiver services during their plan year 2018-2019.
The key changes in each waiver amendment are located in Appendix C-1/C-3: service specification, on the specified pages:
- Individual and Family Services waiver amendment on page 44-184;
- Basic Plus waiver amendment on pages 68-177;
- Core waiver amendment on pages 68-171;
- Community Protection waiver amendment on pages 68-146 and;
- Children’s Intensive In-Home Behavioral Support waiver amendment on pages 46-158.
We believe these proposed changes will have minimal impact on current or future DDA waiver participants.
The amendments can be read in their entirety on our website. Official notices are also located in the Washington State Register and in our field services offices.
Send your comments to us 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.
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