The HCBS Waiver is the Medicaid program that provides opportunities for over 88,000 adults and children with intellectual and developmental disabilities to receive services in their own home or community. Click here to read the full text of the waiver.

Written comments will be accepted from November 10, 2020 through December 18, 2020 and may be submitted by mail to: OPWDD, Division of Policy and Program Development, 44 Holland Ave., Albany, NY 12229 or by e-mail to: peoplefirstwaiver@opwdd.ny.gov. 

For more information, including a summary and previous versions of the waiver, click here.

OPWDD has released the below updated guidance for providers regarding staffing and return to work which reflects the most current travel advisory guidance issued by the NYS Department of Health:

Materials are available from the November 9 OPWDD Webex on IRMA Entry Guidance and Proactive Testing:

COVID-19 Reporting and IRMA Entry Guidance and Proactive Testing powerpoint, dated 11/09/2020, and the Revised-IRMA Entry of Proactive COVID-19 Testing Data, dated 10/30/2020.

In addition, here are links to the OPWDD Interim COVID-19 Guidance: Designated Cluster Mitigation and Oversight and to the Cluster Action Initiative.

NY Times: "COVID Threatens People With Intellectual and Developmental Challenges"

OPWDD’s Revenue Support Field Operations continues to offer trainings designed to provide information on personal allowance and financial benefits to help support individuals with developmental disabilities in New York State. Enrollment for several courses (Medicaid, Medicare, Supplemental Security Income and Social Security) is currently open. To register for trainings, log onto the New York Statewide Learning Management System (SLMS) and search by the title of the course or by the category of “Care Coordination”. Please continue to check SLMS on a frequent basis for new offerings.

"While New York's COVID positivity remains the third-lowest in the nation, we continue to see increases in both new positive cases and hospital admissions, demonstrating we are not immune to the surge we are seeing throughout the rest of the nation," Governor Cuomo said today. "While we may be tired of COVID, it is not tired of us. It's clear that COVID fatigue and a lack of compliance leads to viral spread, so it's more important than ever that as we prepare for winter, each of us stays smart and New York Tough by taking simple everyday actions like washing hands, wearing masks and socially distancing. Likewise, local governments need to be vigilant and actively enforce public health law throughout the state."