Access To Disability Services And Stable Workforce

Medicaid - home- and community-based services - increased compensation for certain direct support professionals - reduction in developmental disabilities waiting list - appropriation. The act requires the department of health care policy and financing (department) to seek federal approval for a 6.5% increase in the reimbursement rate for certain services specified in the act that are delivered through the home- and community-based services intellectual and developmental disabilities, supported living services, and children's extensive supports waivers. Service agencies shall use 100% of the increased funding resulting from the increase in the reimbursement rate for compensation, as defined in the act, for these direct support professionals. The act requires service agencies to document the use of the increased funding for compensation using a reporting tool developed by the department and the service agencies, and to submit a report to the department for the 2018-19 through the 2020-21 fiscal years. If the department determines that a service agency does not use 100% of the increased funding resulting from the increase in the reimbursement rate for compensation for direct support professionals, subject to procedures set forth in the act, the department shall recoup funding that is not used for compensation for direct support professionals as intended in the act.

Once sufficient data is available to assess the impact and outcomes of the reimbursement rate increase on persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities, the department shall include the impact and outcome data, including staff stability survey data, in its annual report to the general assembly concerning the waiting list for intellectual and developmental disability services.

The act requires the department to initiate 300 nonemergency enrollments from the waiting list for the home- and community-based services developmental disabilities waiver in the 2018-19 state fiscal year. In addition, the medical services board (board) in the department shall promulgate rules establishing additional criteria for reserve capacity enrollments based on the age and capacity of a person's parent or caregiver. The department shall include in a monthly report the number of persons who were moved off the developmental disabilities waiting list for both nonemergency enrollments and reserve capacity enrollments.

For the 2018-19 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $12,185,446 from the general fund to the department to implement the act. The department anticipates receiving an additional $12,400,935 in federal funds to implement the act.

(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)