Medicaid Managed Care – Coming Soon?

RAUNER BUDGET THINKING LEAKED

The Rauner administration is preparing budget cuts and we have the internal budget documents and some background.  Cuts to human services have been highlighted including grants in developmental disabilities.  Here is the link: https://capitolfax.com/2017/10/18/rauner-administration-preparing-cuts/.

DIVISION OF DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES:

Wage Implementation Continues

Director Fenton last Friday further clarified the wage implementation.  Here is what he said:

“Division staff have received inquiries related to providers implementing the $0.75 wage increase.  Hopefully this will clarify any lingering questions or hesitation to implement the wage change.  The intent of the legislature was specific to increase the level of wages for all employees who have direct contact and provide a service to any person with a developmental disability.  The intent of the wage increase is to raise all direct support employees’ wages by $0.75 per hour regardless of:

• The employee’s rate of pay related to the agency’s pay scale;
• Minimum Wage Requirements;
• The Agency’s Staffing Ratios;
• The number of or percentage of part time or full time employees;
• Comparison of the agency’s pay scale with any other employer;
• Whether or not an employee or employees received a pay increase before Aug. 1, 2017;
• What the agency’s costs are related to any other business expenses;
• The level of functioning of the people served by the agency; or
• The agency’s fringe benefit costs or percentage of fringe benefits to wages paid.

The DD Division has implemented rate changes for all DDD funded programs to generate the additional revenue to implement the wage increase.  Changes in day program remittance reports were available beginning September 21, 2017.  CILA remittance reports were available to providers beginning October 6, 2017.  The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (IDHFS) is currently in the process of data entering all rate changes for ICF/IIDs, ICF/IDD Day Training, MC/DD (formerly SNF/PED) and MC/DD Exceptional Care Rates.”

Also from DDD Scoop:
Homebased Services:
As you may know, the Division instituted higher payment rates for many of its services with an effective date of August 1, 2017.  The rate table is available at:  http://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=38992

Home-based Service providers and individuals/families who self-direct should ensure that the dollar amount for services billed for August 2017 and subsequent months remains within the dollar amount designated in their Service Agreements.  Exceeding the dollar amount agreed upon for services could cause payment rejections for the billing providers or other providers who serve individuals.

The monthly and yearly amounts for the Children’s Support Waiver and the Waiver for Adults with Developmental Disabilities remain at $1,470 and $2,205 per month respectively.  The Social Security Administration typically announces SSI rates for the following year in mid-to-late October.  No announcement has been made yet.  The Division will notify our stakeholders once the SSI amounts for 2018 have been published.

Supported Employment Billing Changes

The Division of Developmental Disabilities is introducing changes to the billing options for Supported Employment under the Adult Waiver Application. Under the new Adult Waiver there will no longer be Support Employment – No Job Coach – Individual (36U) or Support Employment – No Job Coach – Group (36G). The Division systemically closed out all 36U and 36G authorizations effective 08/31/2017. The only options available for billing as of 09/01/2017 are Supported Employment – Individual (39U) and Supported Employment – Group (39G). Below are current rates for those remaining programs, or click on the following link to review the current rates for all DDD programs; http://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=38992

Any questions concerning this topic or the rates table should be forwarded to;
George Bengel, Manager Waiver & ICF/DD Rates Unit
Phone: 217.782.3398, George.Bengel@Illinois.Gov

Opportunity for Comments Extended:

On Friday, September 27, 2017, we posted a draft Information Bulletin “Additional Staffing Support, CILA and DT Programs”.  The Bulletin indicated that the Comment Period ended today, Wednesday, October 11, 2017.  Since the comment period contained only nine business days, we are extending it to Wednesday, October 25, 2017.  The link is shown here: http://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=57957.

Meg Cooch
Executive Director
The Arc of Illinois
20901 S. LaGrange Rd. Suite 209
Frankfort, IL 60423
815-464-1832 (OFFICE)
Meg@thearcofil.org