Integrated Wavier: KDHE and KDADS will take more time for stakeholder input

KDADS Secretary Kari Bruffett said State intends to
delay implementation of Medicaid waiver integration 

TOPEKA, Kan. – Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) Secretary Dr. Susan Mosier and Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) Secretary Kari Bruffett said today that the agencies intend to delay the target implementation date of Medicaid waiver integration by six months in order to gather additional stakeholder input.

In August, the state announced its intention to consolidate its seven individual 1915(c) home- and community- based services Medicaid waivers into the state’s Section 1115 KanCare demonstration with two service packages, one for adults and one for children. A series of public listening sessions and conference calls have been held to explain the proposal, and the agencies convened a stakeholder workgroup in advance of release of a draft waiver amendment.

“After discussions with consumers, providers and other stakeholders, we have decided to take additional time to incorporate stakeholder feedback,” Secretary Bruffett said.

“We want to ensure that we have the details of how waiver integration will work firmly in place before we move ahead,” Secretary Mosier said. “We want our consumers to be confident that their concerns have been addressed."

“The purpose of waiver integration – which includes broadening the array of services available to truly personalize care plans – has not changed, but we have extended the time period for accomplishing it,” Secretary Bruffett said.

The additional six months means the agencies now have a target date of Jan. 1, 2017, for implementation.

KDHE is the State Medicaid Agency, and KDADS administers seven individual home- and community-based services Medicaid waivers for individuals with physical disabilities, intellectual and developmental disabilities, traumatic brain injury and autism, those with a need for technology assistance, youth with a serious emotional disturbance and the frail elderly. Currently, there is a specific list of services provided under each individual waiver.

The 1115 amendment, if approved by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, would allow the state to provide a more comprehensive set of waiver services to consumers, where needed, regardless of the particular disability that qualified a recipient for these services.