Agency for Health Care Administration, Medicaid

 

AGENCY FOR HEALTH CARE ADMINISTRATION

Medicaid

Traumatic Brain Injury and Spinal Cord Injury Transition Plan for Implementing the Home and Community-Based Settings Rule Requirements and the Traumatic Brain Injury and Spinal Cord Injury Waiver Amendment Request

The Agency for Health Care Administration (Agency) is submitting to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) a transition plan as specified in 42 CFR 441.301(c)4 for the Traumatic Brain Injury and Spinal Cord Injury (TBI/SCI) Waiver, which will be included in the waiver amendment request. The TBI/SCI Transition Plan, the waiver amendment request and the public process used to solicit public input are described in this notice.

Description of the Traumatic Brain Injury and Spinal Cord Injury Transition Plan

The Agency is submitting to CMS a transition plan for the TBI/SCI Waiver in compliance with the Home and Community-Based (HCB) Settings Rule CMS 2249-F. The draft transition plan is designed to ensure that individuals receiving home and community-based services in the TBI/SCI Waiver are integrated in, and have access to, supports in the community, including opportunities to seek employment, work in competitive integrated settings, engage in community life, control personal resources and maintain the rights of privacy, dignity, respect and freedom. The draft transition plan describes how the State will assess, determine compliance, remediate and monitor the waiver’s continued compliance with the HCB settings requirements. This draft transition plan outlines the State’s process with time frames that will be used to ensure compliance with the HCB Settings Rule.

The HCB Settings Rule requires public notice and a 30-day public comment period to solicit meaningful public input for consideration in the development of the transition plan prior to submission to CMS. The Agency is providing public notice on the draft transition plan to solicit meaningful public input from recipients, providers and all stakeholders prior to submission of the transition plan to CMS. The Agency will post the draft transition plan on its website for public comment beginning February 3, 2015 and ending March 5, 2015. The draft transition plan can be viewed on the Agency’s website at the following link: http://ahca.myflorida.com/Medicaid/hcbs_waivers/index.shtml.

When submitting written comments by postal service or e-mail, please have ‘TBI/SCI Transition Plan’ contained in the subject line. Mail comments and suggestions to: Agency for Health Care Administration, Attention: HCBS Waivers, 2727 Mahan Drive, MS 20, Tallahassee, Florida 32308. Email your comments and suggestions to: [e-mail].

For more information, you may contact: Nicholas Warner at [phone] or email: [e-mail]. If you are hearing or speech impaired, please contact us using the Florida Relay Service, 1(800)955-8771 (TDD) or 1(800)955-8770 (Voice).

Description of Traumatic Brain Injury and Spinal Cord Injury Waiver and Amendment Request

The purpose of the TBI/SCI Waiver program is to maintain and promote the health of individuals with traumatic brain injuries or spinal cord injuries through the provision of needed supports and services in order to delay and prevent institutionalization. The goal of the program is to provide a choice of services that will allow eligible recipients to live safely at home or in the community.

The Agency will submit to CMS a request to amend the TBI/SCI Waiver that operates under the authority specified in Section 1915(c) of the Social Security Act. The waiver amendment request is being submitted to: (1) request an increase in the unduplicated number of participants, (2) revise Appendix J to reflect the increased number of participants, (3) update quality performance measures, (4) to eliminate the consumer directed option which was being operated concurrently with the waiver, (5) update mandatory spousal impoverishment information, (6) update the public notice process and (7) include the transition plan in compliance with the HCB Settings Rule. Prior to submission to CMS, the Agency is providing public notice of the waiver amendment request as described below and in accordance with 42 CFR 441.304(f).

The Agency is providing public notice as specified in 42 CFR 441.304(f) to solicit meaningful public input from recipients, providers and all stakeholders on the waiver amendment request 30 days prior to submission to CMS. The Agency will post the waiver amendment request with a description of the changes on its website in conjunction with the draft transition plan. The waiver amendment request document can be viewed at the following link: http://ahca.myflorida.com/Medicaid/hcbs_waivers/index.shtml.

When submitting written comments by postal service or email, please have ‘TBI/SCI Waiver Amendment Request’ contained in the subject line. Mail comments and suggestions to: Agency for Health Care Administration, Attention: HCBS Waivers, 2727 Mahan Drive, MS 20, Tallahassee, Florida 32308. Email your comments and suggestions to: [e-mail].

For more information, you may contact: Nicholas Warner at [phone] or email: [e-mail]. If you are hearing or speech impaired, please contact us using the Florida Relay Service, 1(800)955-8771 (TDD) or 1(800)955-8770 (Voice).