WSR 15-15-114

INTERPRETIVE OR POLICY STATEMENT

[Filed July 16, 2015, 12:38 p.m.]

In accordance with RCW 34.05.230(12), following is a list of policy and interpretive statements issued by the department of social and health services.

Document Title: Public Notice.

Subject: Amendment to COPES and New Freedom waivers.

Effective Date: October 1, 2015, and January 2016.

Document Description: HCS, a division of ALTSA, intends to submit waiver amendments with the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for the following three waivers: Community options program entry system (COPES) waiver (#WA.0049), New Freedom (#WA.0443) and residential support waiver (#WA.1086).

1. All three waivers will be amended to indicate that initial assessments will be completed within forty-five days of intake instead of thirty days. The proposed effective date will be October 1, 2015.

2. COPES and residential support waiver will be amended to remove performance measures related to the state monitoring service plan development in accordance with its policies and procedures. These measures are no longer required by CMS. The proposed effective date will be October 1, 2015.

3. New Freedom and COPES waivers will be amended to modify language to reflect that all assessments will continue to be conducted through an in-person interview. In addition, case managers will be required to make at least one other contact during the service plan year. A home visit is also necessary if the initial assessment was not conducted in the home where services are provided. The proposed effective date is October 1, 2015.

4. Amendments for New Freedom and COPES waivers will also include language regarding implementation of the new payment system for individual providers of personal care and respite services which is called individual ProviderOne. This system will allow providers to make claims through a secure web-based system and will allow providers to be paid twice a month rather than once a month. ALTSA clients will not experience any changes to their services or providers. The proposed effective [date] is January 2016.

A draft of the waiver amendments for #1, #2 and #3 above will be posted for review and comment from August 5, 2015, through 5 p.m. September 5, 2015. The draft amendments for #4 will be posted for review and comment from August 17 through 5 p.m. September 18, 2015. During these time periods the amendments can be found at www.dshs.wa.gov/altsa/stakeholders/home-and-community-based-services-rules. Comments may be provided by e-mail or letter to the contact person listed below.

If you would like to receive a paper copy of any of these amendments, please call (360) 725-2531 during the review period and provide your name, telephone number and mailing address. Please specify what amendment you would like to receive.

To receive a copy of the interpretive or policy statements, contact Debbie Johnson, Program Manager, HCS, P.O. Box 45600, phone (360) 725-2531, TDD/TTY (360) 438-2637, fax (360) 586-9727, e-mail JohnsDA2@dshs.wa.gov, web site http://www.dshs.wa.gov/altsa.