PUBLIC NOTICE: Public Comment Period for Amendments of the 1915 (c) Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) AIDS/HIV, Brain Injury (BI), Children’s Mental Health (CMH), Elderly, Health and Disability (HD), Intellectual Disabilities (ID), and Physical Disability (PD) Waivers
Issued: August 8, 2024
Pursuant to the authority of Iowa Code Section 249A.4, the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) intends to amend all seven of our Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Waivers. This notice provides details about the waivers amendments and serves to open the 30-day public comment period which closes on September 7, 2024.
Summary
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) authorizes 1915(c) HCBS Waivers. The amendments being made to the AIDS/HIV, Brain Injury (BI), Children’s Mental Health (CMH), Elderly, Health and Disability (HD), Intellectual Disability (ID) and Physical Disability (PD) Waivers includes the following:
- All seven waivers: AIDS/HIV, BI, Elderly, CMH, HD, ID, PD
- Update the participant experience survey tool being used from the IPES (Iowa Participant Experience Survey) to the CAHPS (Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems) Home and Community-Based Services Survey.
- By changing the survey tool being used two of the current performance measures within the waivers also had to be re-written. SP-c1 and SP-e1
- Intellectual Disability Waiver only
- Changes the assessment instrument from the Supports Intensity Scale-Adult Version (SIS-A) to the interRAI-Intellectual Disability.
- Changes the assessment instrument from the Supports Intensity Scale-Children’s Version (SIS-C) to the interRAI-Child and Youth Mental Health -Developmental Disability (ChYMH-DD)
- Adjusts the methodology for tiered rates using the interRAI-ID for Daily Supported Community Living (SCL), Full day Day Habilitation, Full day Adult Day Care, and Residential Based SCL (RBSCL)
Fiscal Impact
There is no expected fiscal impact.
Public Review and Comments
A copy of the waiver amendments, along with this public notice, are available below. To reach all stakeholders, non-electronic copies will be made available for review at the HHS Field Offices. Please note that there is not a copy currently available of the BI amendment due to that waiver being under renewal with CMS at this time and a copy of the amendment not being able to be created until that renewal has been accepted.
Prior to finalizing, HHS will consider all written comments received. The comments will be summarized and addressed in the final amendments submitted to CMS.
Written comments concerning this notice, or the proposed amendments, may be addressed to: LeAnn Moskowitz, LTSS Policy Specialist, Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, Iowa Medicaid, 1305 East Walnut, Des Moines, Iowa 50309 or via email at lmoskow@dhs.state.ia.us.
Please indicate HCBS Waiver Amendment in the subject line of the email.
Written and e-mailed comments must be received within 30 days from the issuance of this notice. All comments must be received by: September 7, 2024, at 4:30 PM.
Submitted by:
Elizabeth Matney,
Medicaid Director
Iowa Department of Health and Human Services
Iowa Medicaid