Evansville ARC - Independent Lives for People with Disabilities

News for People with Disabilities

Medicaid Waiver Update
Roll Out to New Waivers Began on August 18

Beginning on August 18, the Division of Disabilities and Rehabilitative Services (DDRS) started issuing a Notice of Action (NOA) on changes to Medicaid Waivers for providers and those people who receive Autism, Developmental Disabilities, or Support Services Waivers. The changes include:

For those currently on the Support Services Waiver, the NOA will:

Change the Waiver name to Family Supports Waiver
Add Case Management as a Waiver service starting September 1
For those with transportation service, the current unit rate of $4.80 will end August 31 and the new $5.00 unit rate will begin September 1

For those currently on the DD Waiver, the NOA will:

Change the Waiver name to Community Integration and Habilitation Waiver (CIH)
Add Case Management as a Waiver service starting September 1
For those with transportation service, the current unit rate of $4.80 will end August 31 and the new $5.00 unit rate will begin September 1
For those with Adult Foster Care services, change the name of the service to Structured Family Caregiving

For those currently on the Autism Waiver, a single PDF document will include:

A cover letter explaining that the individuals are transferring from the Autism Waiver to the Community Integration and Habilitation Waiver
One NOA that shows the Autism Waiver ending on August 31
A second NOA that shows the CIH Waiver starting on September 1
Add Case Management as a Waiver service
For those with transportation, change the rate to $5.00 per unit
For those with Adult Foster Care, change the name of the service to Structured Family Caregiving

Please feel free to contact Kelly Barnett at 812-492-1203 or at kbarnett@evansvillearc.org with any questions you may have.

Updated Information is available on the Family Supports Waiver, which will go into affect on September 1. Please visit The Arc of Indiana’s website for complete details. Also available on the page are changes to the Objective Budget Allocations (OBA) and Algo Level 5 changes.

Two new guides are available from The Arc of Indiana:

An Introduction to Indiana’s Medicaid Waiver Program, June 2012 Update

Guide to Transitioning from a Nursing Facility to a Home in Your Community

There is also an updated video on transitioning from a nursing facility on the Arc of Indiana Youtube Channel.

Case Management Announcement
The Family & Social Services Administration (FSSA) has taken a step forward in the move to allow people receiving Medicaid Waiver Services to have a choice in who provides case management. The Division of Disability and Rehabilitative Services (DDRS) has posted information for entities interested in providing case management services. Currently, IPMG is the only entity providing case management to people receiving Medicaid Waiver services. DDRS is changing this practice by allow multiple entities to provide case management. Learn More

Read: Changes Coming to Programs Services for People with I/DD
Watch: YouTube Play List - Changes to Programs for People with I/DD

Apply for Caregiver Support Services
DDRS has announced that primary caregivers may apply for Caregiver Support Services at their Bureau of Developmental Disabilities Services office on and after Mon. June 25, 2012. Services are available first come first served. If you received services in the past you must apply again, in person, at the Bureau of Developmental Disabilities Services (BDDS) office. If you have not received services you must apply in person WITH your family member who has a disability.

Important Information for Families and People with Disabilities

ARC of Indiana Indiana’s Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) is planning many changes to programs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including changes to the Medicaid Waiver program.

The Arc of Indiana held a meeting for families in Indianapolis on April 12, 2012 to share information about these changes.

You can find complete information from the meeting, including links to videos of all of the presentations and a summary of the information that was shared by visiting The Arc’s webpage at: http://www.arcind.org/news/?naid=92

This includes information on:

Update on Medicaid Waiver Waiting Lists and Project Growth of the Waiver
Proposed Changes to Medicaid Waivers
Balancing Incentives – Group Home Conversion Proposal
Changes Coming to Case Management
Policy Change for Families as Paid Caregivers
Crisis Plan for People with I/DD and Mental Health or Severe Behavioral Needs
New Initiatives of The Arc of Indiana

You may also want to stay up to date by signing up to receive The Arc of Indiana’s E-Newsletter at: http://www.arcind.org/newsletter/.