CP State News - HCBS October 1 Waiver Amendment approved by CMS

October 1, 2020

CP State News

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HCBS October 1 Waiver Amendment approved by CMS

Unfortunately, the 1915(c) Comprehensive Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) October 1, 2020 Waiver Amendment, which puts in place the cuts we've discussed for months, was approved today. This will be discussed on tomorrow's Affiliate Update call.

The October 1, 2020 Waiver Amendment includes changes to effectuate rate setting provisions in the approved 2020-2021 New York State Budget and to make other operational changes and streamlining changes. These changes include revisions to the rate setting methodology for calculating the occupancy adjustment, Vacancy Days, Therapy Days, and Retainer Days for Supervised Residential Habilitation services; alignment of Community Prevocational Services rate setting regions with the regions already in use for Community Habilitation; update to Community Habilitation description to implement clinical review tools for consistent and efficient decision-making and fairness and equity of service authorizations for Community Habilitation; and technical changes to streamline the completion of the Documentation of Choices form by eliminating the need for Care Managers and Regional Office staff to sign the form.

Click here to copy of the approved Waiver Amendment and the response to public comment.

It's not over.

We still have a voice and we need your help.

We're not stopping. We never will.

Go to www.cpstate.org/advocacy to send the message to the Governor and local representatives demanding that disability services be fully funded.

Our supporters have sent more than 30,000 messages so far, but our work isn’t done.

Here’s what you can do:

Send this link - www.cpstate.org/advocacy - to your parents, staff, self- and other advocates, and ask them to flood the inboxes of their elected officials.
Share the link on your social media channels.
Ask your supporters to enhance the message with their personal stories of how cuts will affect them.

If you have any questions about the advocacy tool, or need help with messaging or graphics, please contact Bill DeVoe at wdevoe@cpstate.org.

Thank you!

Senator David Carlucci issues statement on cuts

Senator David Carlucci, Chair of the NYS Senate Mental Health & Developmental Disabilities Committee, today issued the following statement on the Oct. 1 cuts:

"We need to be proactive, not reactive. If we do not fund nonprofit providers who offer our most vulnerable preventive services, then the future price tag will be far greater on taxpayers. On October 1st, OPWDD is set to slash their reimbursement payments to group homes when individuals go to the hospital, receive therapy or visit their family. The $4 billion in federal funding the State is holding on to could help lessen the blow of these harmful cuts and support our frontline heroes who care for our most vulnerable."