Recently, I have been sharing with you information on the Administration’s intent to
submit an 1115 Waiver to transform the Medicaid system here in Illinois. This is an
ambitious task with a very aggressive timeline, but an 1115 Waiver could be of benefit
to individuals with disabilities here in Illinois. At this point, no one outside of the Admini-
stration really knows the details so we cannot assess the positive or negative impact this
proposed 1115 Waiver would have on the disability system.
Next week, on November 6th or later, a concept paper will be released for stakeholders to
review and comment upon related to the 1115 Waiver. It is the plan to then hold stakeholder
meetings through December 13th and submit an 1115 Waiver to the Centers for Medicare &
Medicaid (CMS) by February 15, 2014.
The second Stakeholder meeting with be on November 14th, from 1:00pm- 3:00pm at the
James R. Thompson Center, Room 9-040 (9th floor) to discuss the framework and clarify
the elements of the waiver concept paper.
After the concept paper is released, I would invite you to share your comments with me.
Here is a link to the 1115 webpage:
Building on the work of the Alliance for Health the State of Illinois is launching
an effort to develop a Path to Transformation Medicaid Waiver under the Centers
for Medicare and Medicaid Services waiver authority, Section 1115 of the
Social Security Act. This section gives the Secretary of Health and Human
Services authority to approve experimental, pilot, or demonstration projects
that promote the objectives of the Medicaid and CHIP programs and that differ
from federal program rules. The purpose of these demonstrations, which give
States additional flexibility to design and improve their programs, is to
demonstrate and evaluate policy approaches such as:
Expanding eligibility to individuals who are not otherwise Medicaid or
CHIP eligible
Providing services not typically covered by Medicaid such as
supportive housing
Using innovative service delivery systems that improve care,
increase efficiency, and reduce costs.
Waivers are generally approved for five years and must result in federal
expenditures that are less than or equal to what would have been spent in
the absence of the waiver. As we look to establish a more integrated, rational,
and efficient healthcare delivery system, we need input from stakeholders to
help shape the goals and key strategies of the waiver.
Timeline
October 18, 2013 Stakeholder kick-off meeting
Oct. 18-Dec. 13, 2013 Stakeholder meetings
November 5, 2013 Concept paper finalized
December 13, 2013 First draft of waiver proposal
January 5, 2014 Draft waiver posted for comment
January 15, 2014 Final waiver w/comments posted
February 15, 2014 Waiver submitted to CMS
Tony Paulauski Executive Director
The Arc of Illinois
20901 S. LaGrange Rd. Suite 209
Frankfort, IL 60423
815-464-1832 (OFFICE)
815-464-1832 (CELL)
Tony@www.thearcofil.org
