ODP Communication 19-117 is to announce that the proposed amendment to the Adult Autism Waiver (AAW) is available for public review and comment. There is a 30-day public comment period that started on September 7, 2019 and ends on October 7, 2019.

Whenever substantive changes are made to an approved waiver, ODP must submit an amendment to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for approval. ODP proposes to amend the Adult Autism Waiver as follows:

• Add a new service, non-medical transportation.
• Revise provider qualifications for all employment-related services to require certification by July 1, 2020.
• Revise the frequency of verification of provider qualifications from every 30 months to every 36 months.
• Require providers to execute an ODP Waiver Provider Agreement to replace the current Adult Autism Waiver Provider Supplemental Agreement.
• Add reserved capacity for participants to re-enroll in the Adult Autism Waiver after a stay in a hospital or rehabilitative care lasting more than 30 days.
• Revise performance measures and terminology to align with the other ODP waivers.
• Transition from an interest list to a waiting list based upon level of care determinations conducted by the Administrative Entities (AEs).
• Revise the service definitions of employment-related services to add a provision for accessing those services during a period when the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) is operating under a closed order of selection.

View the proposed amendment to the Adult Autism Waiver here.

Interested persons are invited to submit written comments regarding the proposed waiver amendment as outlined below. Comments received by 11:59 pm on October 7, 2019 will be reviewed and considered for revisions to the waiver amendment submitted to CMS. Comments should be addressed to Laura Cipriani, Department of Human Services, Office of Developmental Programs, 625 Forster Street, Room 510, Harrisburg, PA 17120. Comments may also be submitted to ODP via email, using subject header “AAW Amendment.” Please note that the proposed effective date of October 1, 2019, will be pushed back after the conclusion of the public comment period.

ODP will also hold a webinar to receive comments on the proposed waiver amendment on Monday, September 16, 2019, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. Use this link to register for the above webinar.

Participants may participate in the webinar by phone, but will need a computer to provide comments during the webinar. To assist ODP in accurately capturing comments provided during the webinar, individuals are asked to submit a written copy of their comments by email or by mail to the address provided above.

Persons with a disability who require an auxiliary aid or service may submit comments using the Pennsylvania Relay Service by dialing 711 or by using one of the following toll-free numbers:

• 800-654-5984 (TDD users)
• 800-654-5988 (voice users)
• 844-308-9292 (Speech-to-Speech) or
• 844-308-9291 (Spanish)

Copies of the proposed waiver amendment may be obtained by contacting the Bureau of Autism Services at this email or via US mail at PO Box 2675, Harrisburg, PA 17105. Questions about this communication should be directed here.