News: Division Director’s Message to the Developmental Disability System
May 21, 2009
Director’s Message to the Developmental Disability System
Attached you will find the final statewide standardized service rates for the Supported Living Services (SLS) and Children’s Extensive Support Medicaid waivers. As you probably know, Colorado is now required by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to use standardized rates for all waiver services across the State.
I want you all to know that this has been a very complex and difficult project. The number of changes that are taking place, coupled with a phase in period for some of the changes, has added to the complexity. The Department and Division are very aware of the likely impacts of these changes on many people, however, there is no way to avoid having some amount of increase or decrease to existing rates when establishing a system of statewide standardized service rates. It has been hard to balance the requirement for standardized rates within an existing appropriation while still trying to minimize the impact on thousands of service recipients and hundreds of service providers. Every effort has been made to try to minimize any negative impact on services currently being provided.
The Division has worked closely with many others in the developmental disabilities system, including use of a Rates Work Group to research existing rates and costs within the developmental disabilities system and comparative data from related fields, to develop these standardized service rates.
As we together work through the implementation of these significant changes, I want to reassure everyone that the Department and Division will be working closely with the Community Centered Board system, service providers and advocacy groups to help guide everyone through the change process. As you will see in the attachments, the process of changing Service Plans has several variables. In the coming weeks, the Division will be developing a flow chart to help individuals, families, service providers and case managers navigate these changes. We are also planning a series of information forums throughout the state during July and August.
Additionally, the Division and the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, as the single State Medicaid Agency with oversight authority for all Medicaid waivers, will be monitoring actual implementation during this next fiscal year to determine if there is a need and justification for making any further adjustments to the rates. Both State agencies are open to considering rate adjustments in the future along with increased Service Plan Authorization Limits, if future utilization analyses indicate affordability within the appropriation, and if there is documentation regarding underlying cost factors and/or inability to find sufficient providers for some services and/or consumer groups.
Sharon S. Jacksi, Ph.D.
Director
Department of Human Services
Division for Developmental Disabilities
4055 S. Lowell Blvd.
Denver, Co 80236
Attachments
Directive SLS CES Rates and Caps;
Attachment A Tab 1 SLS-CES Services Rates Effective July 1 2009 FINAL;
Attachment A Tab 2 SLS-CES Services Rates Effective July 1 2009 FINAL;
Attachment B Proposed SLS Services;
Attachment C Proposed CES Services;
Attachment D Funding Definitions Effective July 1 2009
