PUBLIC NOTICE – REQUEST FOR COMMENTS
The Department of Health and Social Services, Division of Senior & Disabilities Services (SDS) is requesting comment from recipients, waiver service providers, and other stakeholders on amendments to Alaska’s four home and community based services waivers and on a new waiver application before these items are submitted to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
The proposed amendments align the waivers with new long term services and supports programs initiated by SDS. The proposed Community First Choice (CFC, also known as 1915(k) program and the Long Term Services and Supports Targeted Case Management (LTSS TCM) State Plan Option will be submitted to CMS for approval at the same time as the new waiver and waiver amendments are submitted, so that all changes have the same effective date.
The amendments propose to:
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Remove Personal Emergency Response Systems (PERS) from the service definition of Specialized Medical Equipment, as PERS is allowable under CFC. (All waivers)
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Remove the initial waiver application and development of a participant’s annual support plan from the service definition and rate chart for care coordination, as these tasks will be provided as LTSS TCM. (All waivers)
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Align the service limit for day habilitation with adopted regulations. (All but the Alaskans Living Independently waiver)
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Add reserved capacity slots and clarify the process for selection of entrants to the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) waiver.
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Make technical corrections to several quality improvement measures. (All waivers)
The proposed Individualized Supports Waiver (ISW) includes these features:
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Many of the same services and providers available on the IDD waiver
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An individual cost limit of $17,500 per year
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A limit of 600 participants on the waiver at any one time, selected from the Developmental Disabilities Registration and Review (DDRR) ISW waiting list
The approved waivers and the proposed amendments, as well as the proposed ISW, can be viewed at http://dhss.alaska.gov/dsds/Pages/AK-HCBS-waivers.aspx. Copies of the proposed amendments and ISW will also be available for viewing at SDS offices in Anchorage (550 W. 8th Ave.), Juneau (240 Main St., Suite 601) and Fairbanks (400 Gambell St., Suite 303).
SDS will accept public comment on these amendments until 5:00 pm November 27, 2017. Please send written comments to Jetta Whittaker, PO Box 110680, Juneau AK 99811, or jetta.whittaker@alaska.gov.