New York Finalizes Draft Waiver Transition Plan for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

March 2018 ~

The New York Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) has finalized its Draft Waiver Transition Plan which lays out a new approach to reform of the system serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), “People First Care Coordination.”

The Transition Plan describes the development of Care Coordination Organizations (CCOs), which will provide Health Home Care Management services and will span multiple service systems, including the OPWDD system, and incorporate physical health, Behavioral Health and life support services.

CCOs are being established by groups of OPWDD providers, based on a health home model, are being established by groups of OPWDD providers in each region across the state to provide multiagency care coordination.

Six new CCOs have been identified to begin providing care management services July 1st:

  1. Advance Care Alliance
  2. Care Design NY
  3. LIFEPlan
  4. Person Centered Services
  5. Prime Care Coordination
  6. Tri-County Care

The Medicaid Service Coordination (MSC) program which is currently used to coordinate developmental disabilities services will be replaced by this new service. The CCOs will be staffed by Care Managers, and to ensure the continuity of care, in many cases the new Care Managers will be current Medicaid Service Coordinators who will receive additional training for this new role.

Care Managers will help coordinate services across systems, including OPWDD, the Department of Health, OASAS, and the Office of Mental Health, providing people with developmental disabilities, and their families, with one place to plan all of their service needs.

There will be no changes to a person’s supports and services as this transition from MSC to Health Home Care Management takes place, unless changes are requested by the individual receiving services.

People with developmental disabilities who do not want to receive comprehensive care management can choose to receive Basic HCBS Plan Support which will also be offered by CCOs. Basic HCBS Plan Support will be a very limited coordination option.

The draft plan reflects changes made as a result of the public comment period, and will now be submitted to CMS for approval.

For more information, read the Final Draft I/DD 1115 Waiver Transition Plan.

 

Source(s): New York State Department of Health; New York Office for People with Developmental Disabilities;

 

 

 

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