Attention DODD Providers and County Boards:
As the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities (DODD) responses to coronavirus (COVID-19), please continue to exercise flexibility to ensure the health and safety of Ohioans with developmental disabilities and their families.
To support providers and county boards of developmental disabilities, DODD is preparing a submission to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) requesting flexibility with the home and community-based services (HCBS) waiver rules and requirements.
New employee onboarding requirements will be relaxed for agency providers in order to expedite the hiring process and allow new hires to begin service delivery more quickly during this state of emergency. Additionally, service delivery requirements will be relaxed to allow providers and county boards to find creative solutions to meet needs with limited resources.
The following options are
effective immediately
:
- Residential providers certified to deliver Homemaker/Personal Care (HPC) services can subcontract with Adult Day and Vocational Habilitation providers to deliver HPC services in any HCBS residential setting.
- Certified respite providers can subcontract with Adult Day and Vocational Habilitation providers to provide respite services to people with disabilities in HCBS residential settings.
- Consider evaluating whether Remote Support is appropriate to meet a person’s needs. Remote Support can be authorized for 24 hours per day or fill gaps if unexpectedly there is not support available from a direct support professional.
These services may be authorized via phone call or email before updating individual service plans (ISPs). Formal ISP revisions can be completed as time permits to reflect the needed changes retroactively.
As you work to put these services in place, please note that individual Ohio Developmental Disabilities Profile (ODDP) budget limitations on HPC services, Remote Support, and respite services within the Individual Options Waiver will be temporarily lifted to allow for the needed flexibility in service levels. It is expected that more Level One Waiver enrollees may need to access the three-year emergency services benefit within that waiver. DODD systems will be able to accommodate timely reimbursement for these needed services, even if the payment authorization is submitted retroactively.
DODD has set up a dedicated
web page
f
or department communications and links to helpful resources that will advise people with disabilities, their families, service providers, direct support professionals, county boards of developmental disabilities, and the community at large.
For specific questions about COVID-19 and additional information and resources, DODD urges you to use the Ohio Department of Health’s call center. Call 1-833-4-ASK-ODH (1-833-427-5634), or visit
coronavirus.ohio.gov
.
