WSR 13-24-003

[Filed November 20, 2013, 1:03 p.m.]

Title or Subject: Medicaid State Plan Amendment (SPA) 13-38 Alternative Benefits Plan.

Effective Date: January 1, 2014.

Description: The agency intends to submit medicaid SPA 13-38 to comply with the Affordable Care Act and to receive Center for Medicare and Medicaid Service's approval of Washington state's proposed alternative benefit plan for the medicaid expansion population (individuals who were not previously eligible for medicaid services but will be eligible under the Affordable Care Act). The alternative benefit plan describes the coverage being made available to this new medicaid-covered population. Coverage under this plan will be exactly the same as the classic medicaid categorically needy program as described in Attachment 3.1-A of the state plan to be in effect January 1, 2014, with the addition of a benefit for habilitative services. The definition of habilitative services and related policy will be developed and stakeholdered via the WAC development and promulgation process. The agency anticipates an annual aggregate expense of $214,727 for fiscal year 2014. The agency assures that there will be full access to early and periodic screening, diagnosis, and treatment services for people under twenty-one years of age, as described by 42 C.F.R. 440.345.

Additional information about the benefits offered under the alternative benefit plan for those covered under the medicaid expansion population is available at the agency's web site at http://www.hca.wa.gov/medicaid/Documents/benefit_changes_2014.pdf.

Please send comments to the agency via e-mail at Medicaidexpansion2014@hca.wa.gov.

For additional information, contact Gail Kreiger, Health Care Services, 626 8th Avenue S.E., Olympia, WA 98501, phone (360) 725-1681, TDD/TTY 800-848-5429, fax (360) 725-1328, e-mail gail.kreiger@hca.wa.gov, web site http://www.hca.wa.gov/medicaid/Documents/benefit_changes_2014.pdf.