BULLET POINTS ON WAIVERS AND
WAIVER STAKEHOLDER PROCESS

 

The California Health and Human Services Agency (Agency) should make the stakeholder process fully accessible to consumers by:

§       Holding additional stakeholder meetings in different areas of the State; and

§       Providing support to consumers to facilitate their attendance and full participation.

Changes needed to make the waivers more effective:

1.    Increase the Number of Slots: use existing sources of information about the need and increase the number of slots to meet that need

2.    Realistic Cost-Caps: appropriate funds for the NF A/B Waiver commensurate with the cost of nursing facility placement, and that such appropriation increase annually at a rate equal to any increases in facility rates.

3.    Flexible Eligibility: allow for flexible eligibility determinations so that such individuals are not forced into institutions unnecessarily, or left at home with inadequate services.

4.    Aggregate cost-cap: apply an aggregate cost-cap to the NF/AH Waiver to enable individuals whose costs exceed the cost for their designated level of care to benefit from HCBS Waiver services, rather than remain unnecessarily in institutions.

5.    Allow for Local Administration: allow for local administration of some or all Waiver slots to allow for better efficiency, local prioritization of slots, and tailoring of administration to meet local needs.

6.    Fix WPCS/IHSS Coordination Problems: work with interested advocates and legislators to resolve this serious and unnecessary administrative barrier to seamless receipt of WPCS and IHSS

7.    TBI Waiver: apply for a new HCBS Waiver to address the needs of people with TBI, as many other states have done.

8.    Improve Quality Assurance: develop and implement a quality assurance component to the Waivers, with the input of consumers and advocates, that is built on prior and current successful measures of life quality.

9.    Single Point of Entry: develop a mechanism by which individuals who are referred for nursing facility placement will be informed about, and assessed for Waiver services in an expedited manner (3 days).

10.Coordinate NF Waiver and other services for people with Developmental and mental health disabilities: improve coordination among these systems so that people who have a combination of disabilities can get the services they need from multiple systems working together.

11.Consumer-Friendly Materials and outreach: create written information, both on its website and in print, that explains the process for getting on the Waiver, what services are available, how to find service providers, and consumers’ rights.  DHS should also do outreach to individuals in institutions and hospitals to make sure that they know about HCBS Waivers and have an opportunity to apply for them. All information should be available in accessible formats and in other languages widely used in California.