Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department has expanded home delivered meals, homemaker, and companion services for members who meet specific eligibility criteria described below. Members who meet the eligibility criteria may access these services. These expanded services are available March 13, 2020, through the duration of the federal public health emergency.
Who qualifies?
The Department has identified three broad categories of members who qualify for this expansion of services. Members served by Fee-for-Service (FFS) or a managed care organization (MCO), and who meet the criteria below qualify for these service.
- Current Home- and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Waiver members and members who are children under age 18 and are residents of a household in which a parent or guardian is eligible.
- Medicaid members receiving Habilitation services and members who are chldren under age 18 and are residents of a household in which a parent or guardian is eligible
- Home bound Medicaid members meeting specific criteria.
How FFS waiver or habilitation members access the services
- Current HCBS Waiver members should reach out to their case manager if additional services are needed. The case manager will assist members in locating a home delivered meals, homemaker services, and companion services provider.
- Current Habilitation Services members who need these services should contact their Integrated Health Home Care Coordinator (IHHCC). The IHHCC will locate a provider in the member's service area.
- Medicaid members who are not enrolled in one of the HCBS waivers or Habilitation program should call IME Member Services at 1-800-338-8366 to complete a screening to determine in they meet the criteria for additional services. IME Member Services will provide a referral to local meal service agencies if the member meets the criteria.
Criteria for other FFS members to be eligible
The following criteria will be used by IME Member Services to determine if a Medicaid member who is not enrolled in one of the HCBS waivers or Habilitation program qualifies for additional services.
- Member must be at least 18 years of age.
- Homebound as a result of the COVID-19 public health emergency and be part of a high-risk category. High-risk categories include: members who are over the age of 60, or members who are between the ages of 18 and 60 AND diagnosed by a physician with a serious heart condition, chronic medical conditions or compromised immume system, members over the age of 18 and diagnosed by a physician with COVID-19, or members who are children under age 18 and are residents of a household in which a parent or guardian is eligible.
How MCO members access the services
- Members may sign-up to receive the expanded services by contacting their MCO's member services.
- Members may also be referred to the expanded services by an existing provider or by a family member, care provider or other natural support. Referrals can be made to the member's case manager, or to the MCO member call center.
Role of the Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs)
The expansion of the Medicaid benefit for home delivered meals does not change the role of the AAAs who currently provide home delivered meals to Medicaid members. This Medicaid expansion of home delivered meals is specific to individuals who receive full Medicaid benefits. Members over the age of 60 who receive Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB) or Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) can be referred to the AAAs as they may be eligible to receive home delivered meals as a result of funding through the Older American's Act.