MARCH 22 IS DEADLINE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON HOME AND COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICES STATEWIDE TRANSITION PLAN UPDATE

NEW CASTLE (March 10, 2016) - March 22 is the deadline for public comment on the state's proposed updates to the Statewide Transition Plan for compliance with the federal Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) final rule. Comments, including those from individuals who attended public hearings held by DHSS' Division of Medicaid and Medical Assistance across Delaware on March 4 and March 7, must be received by 4:30 p.m. March 22. Responses received by the deadline will be summarized and included in the state's updated plan, which will be sent to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) by March 31. Comments and input regarding the draft transition plan may be submitted in the following ways:
By email: DMMA_PublicHearing@delaware.gov By fax: 302-255-4481 to the attention of: HCBS Transition Plan Updates By mail:
HCBS Transition Plan Updates
Division of Medicaid and Medical Assistance Planning, Policy and Quality Unit
1901 N. DuPont Highway
P.O. Box 906
New Castle, DE 19720-0906

In January 2014, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services published the home and community-based services (HCBS) final rule. The HCBS final rule is intended to support home and community-based settings as an alternative to institutional care for participants in Medicaid HCBS programs.

"Delaware's Medicaid program is committed to the goals of enhancing the quality of home and community-based services and ensuring full access to the benefits of community living," Director Steve Groff said. "DHSS is driven by the core values that enhance individuals' access to the least-restrictive environments, promotes individual choice, and engages families and significant others from across our state."

CMS required all states to develop a Statewide Transition Plan to outline how they would come into compliance with the final rule. On March 17, 2015, after working with stakeholders across Delaware, a Transition Plan was developed and submitted to CMS for approval. The Statewide Transition Plan describes the activities Delaware will undertake to achieve full compliance with all federal requirements by the required date of March 17, 2019.

Delaware's Statewide Transition Plan specifies all the services, delivered in both residential and non-residential settings, which will be reviewed to determine compliance with federal requirements in the final rule. Specifically, the Transition Plan outlines the actions that Delaware will take to:

• Engage stakeholders in all phases of the process.
• Assess relevant policies and regulations at all levels, as well as provider settings.
• Develop and implement strategies to remediate non-compliant situations.
• Demonstrate full compliance with the final rule by March 17, 2019.

For more information about Delaware's Transition Plan and the HCBS final rule, go to DHSS' Division of Medicaid and Medical Assistance website: www.dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dmma/hcbs_trans_plan.html

Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware's citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations.