(1) Notwithstanding any contrary requirement under this title, changes under this section to DDA's home and community-based waivers are effective immediately and necessary to respond to managing the COVID-19 outbreak. All changes require prior approval by the DDA field services director or designee and will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. Once the emergency declaration regarding CODIV-19 is expired, this rule will no longer be applicable, and allowances approved in this rule must end.

(2) The following changes to waiver services are temporary, effective immediately, and necessary to respond to managing the COVID-19 outbreak.

(a) Limits to the number of respite hours a client may receive that are generated in the CARE assessment are temporarily suspended. The amount of respite hours a client may receive are determined by DDA.

(b) The basic plus, CIIBS, and individual and family services waiver aggregate budgets may be exceeded for COVID-19-related health and safety needs.

(d) Community guide and community engagement may be provided to more than one client at a time.

(e) Staff and family consultation may be provided to more than one client at a time.

(f) Assistive technology is available on all five waiver programs when a waiver participant requires a basic technology in order to receive waiver-funded remote supports during the COVID-19 outbreak. Assistive technology is only available to the participant when access to technologies through other resources is not possible. Technology includes, tablets, switches, telephones, or other devices necessary for the client to receive remote supports from the waiver service provider.

(g) If transportation is necessary to prevent illness or meet a client's immediate health and safety needs, waiver transportation services may be used to travel to a place where the client will not be receiving waiver services (e.g., transportation to a family member's home).

(h) All waiver services except goods may be offered remotely by providers when travel to the waiver participant is not possible due to COVID-19 infection or exposure.

(3) If a client is displaced from their home because of quarantine or hospitalization, or if a provider is unavailable due to illness or business closure, the following waiver services may be provided in a hotel, shelter, church, other facility-based setting, or the home of a direct-care worker when those supports are not available through the medicaid state plan or another legally liable funding source:

(a) Residential habilitation;

(b) Respite care;

(d) Staff and family consultation;

(e) Behavioral health stabilization- positive behavior support;

(f) Behavioral health stabilization- crisis diversion beds;

(g) Nurse delegation; and

(h) Skilled nursing.

(4) Positive behavior support and staff and family consultation may be provided in an acute care setting such as a hospital or short-term institutional setting if:

(a) DDA determines that no other alternatives are available and a nonintegrated setting is the only setting available to meet the client's health and safety needs;

(b) The waiver service provider is not otherwise funded by another resource; and

(5) The following changes to waiver service provider qualifications are temporary, effective immediately, and necessary to respond to managing the COVID-19 outbreak.

(a) Staff and family consultation may include emergency preparedness consultation support from a provider trained in emergency management or a similar field with a current DDA contract.

(b) Respite care may be provided by currently contracted positive behavior support providers.

(6) Specialized medical equipment and supply, specialized equipment and supply, and assistive technology provider types may include the use of a purchase card and community choice guides when supply or cost impacts occur due to COVID-19.

(7) The following changes to level-of-care evaluations and re-evaluations for waiver participants are temporary, effective immediately, and necessary to respond to managing the COVID-19 outbreak.

(a) A client's services may continue and the level-of-care reassessment may be postponed up to one year on a case-by-case basis if due to illness or quarantine:

(i) The client, their representative, or a DDA employee are unable to participate in the reassessment; or

(ii) There is insufficient time for the case manager to complete the annual reassessment paperwork.

(b) On a case-by-case basis, the time limit for approving a client's expired person-centered service plan may be extended if:

(i) The plan currently meets the client's; and

(ii) Monthly remote or telephonic monitoring is provided to ensure the plan continues to meet the client's needs.

(c) Telephonic assessments may occur in place of face-to-face assessments on a case-by-case basis. An initial assessment may be conducted telephonically when needed to prevent exposure related to COVID-19.

(d) For initial CARE assessments, employees may complete the assessment and person-centered service plan via the telephone or other electronic means and then do a brief in-person visit before moving the assessment to current.

(e) If the previsit questionnaire response indicates it is not safe to do an in-person visit, services can be authorized prior to an in-person visit occurring.

(f) All initial CARE assessments will ensure that mandatory fields are completed with the information necessary to complete a person-centered service plan.

(g) Annual assessment inter-rater reliability monitoring may be postponed up to one year if workforce is limited or the client's household is impacted by COVID-19.

(h) A person-centered service plan, or revisions to a person-centered service plan, may be approved with a retroactive approval date for service needs identified to mitigate harm or risk directly related to COVID-19 impacts. Telephonic (or other information technology medium) assessments may occur when the assessment cannot occur due to impacts of COVID-19.

(8) CIIBS quarterly face-to-face meetings may be provided telephonically when a face-to-face meeting cannot occur due to client or client representative health concerns or staffing availability.