Department of Human Services seeking comment on Medicaid 1915(c) waiver

The North Dakota Department of Human Services’ Developmental Disabilities Division is seeking public comments on an amendment of the Medicaid 1915(c) Traditional Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities and Developmental Disabilities (IID/DD) Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Waiver dated April 1, 2019.

The amendment includes an increase in the number of individuals that can be served and changes required by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for vacancy and absence factors, which include the addition of a personal assistance retainer payment option to residential habilitation. Additionally, in residential habilitation, day habilitation, prevocational services and small group employment services, an individual may be eligible for a higher medical acuity level, based on their assessed medical needs, resulting in a higher reimbursement rate.

The 1915(c) waiver amendment application and a slide presentation highlighting the proposed changes are available for review on the division’s website under the “news” section at www.nd.gov/dhs/services/disabilities/dd.html. If individuals are unable to access this document via the Web, a copy can be mailed to them.

Please be aware that the posted waiver amendment is a draft. The final document will be posted on the department’s website when it is approved by CMS.

Comments and public input on the proposed changes will be accepted from Oct. 21, 2019 until 5 p.m. on Nov. 20, 2019.

Submitting a Comment

Comments can be submitted to the Department of Human Services - Developmental Disabilities Division, Attn: Heidi Zander, at 1237 W. Divide Ave., Suite 1A, Bismarck, N.D., 58501, hzandernd [dot] gov

, 701-328-8945, or 711 (TTY).

The waiver is a program authorized by federal law that funds in-home and community-based services for individuals with intellectual disabilities who meet Medicaid eligibility and level of care requirements.