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Tags Posts tagged with "Access Final Rule"

Access Final Rule

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Thursday, December 5, 2024
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm ET
11:00 am – 12:00 pm PT
Register Here

This spring, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized the highly anticipated “Ensuring Access to Medicaid Services” rule (or the “Access Rule”) that, among other things, updates program standards and processes for Medicaid home- and community-based services (HCBS), including HCBS for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). Individuals with I/DD rely on Medicaid HCBS to support their independence and ability to live at home in their communities. The changes required by the Access Rule—and how states implement those changes—will have far reaching impact on state I/DD systems and the people they serve.

Join the Policy Information Exchange (PIE) for a discussion with state and provider experts who are thinking through their own approaches to Access Rule implementation. During the webinar, they will dive into the Access Rule’s impact on state I/DD programs, HCBS providers, and community partners, and individuals with I/DD and their families and caregivers. Specifically, they’ll discuss:

  • New and updated requirements related to HCBS incident management and grievance systems, payment adequacy and transparency, access and quality reporting and disclosure.
  • The implications for state I/DD systems—including challenges—as they plot a path to full implementation of the Access Rule within required timelines.
  • Strategies for building effective and collaborative engagement with community partners, people receiving services, providers, case management entities, and direct care workers.
  • Immediate steps that state I/DD systems should take now to assess their HCBS programs, processes, and IT infrastructure needs.

If you can’t make the live session on December 5, visit here to register for the free webinar now, and you’ll receive a link to view the program on demand.

More Details

Facilitators

Panelists

  • Pete Cervinka, Acting Director and Chief Deputy Director, California Department of Developmental Services (DDS)
  • Conor O’Dea, HCBS Policy Advisor, The Vermont Agency of Human Services
  • Lydia Dawson, Vice President of Government Relations, ANCOR

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Photo by Michael Schofield on Unsplash

The While House issued a press release announcing that the Access Final Rule will be released later today. These regulations include:

  • The Nursing Home Minimum Staffing Rule, which will require all nursing homes that receive federal funding through Medicare and Medicaid to have 3.48 hours per resident per day of total staffing, including a defined number from both registered nurses (0.55 hours per resident per day) and nurse aides (2.45 per resident per day);
  • Introducing the requirements of the rule in phases to make sure nursing homes have the time they need to hire staff, with longer timeframes for rural communities;
  • Ensuring adequate compensation for home care workers for HCBS operations of in-home care (both Personal Assistance Services and Community Habilitation) by “requiring that at least 80 percent of Medicaid payments for home care services go to workers’ wages. This policy would also allow states to take into account the unique experiences that small home care providers and providers in rural areas face while ensuring their employees receive their fair share of Medicaid payments and continued training as well as the delivery of quality care;”
  • The state requirement to be more transparent in how much they pay for home care services and how they set those rates, increasing the accountability for home care providers; and
  • The creation of a state home care rate-setting advisory group made up of beneficiaries, home care workers, and other key stakeholders to advise and consult on provider payment rates and direct compensation for direct care workers.

We will continue to monitor the details of these regulations and Pennsylvania’s plans to comply. If you have any questions, please contact Fady Sahhar.

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