vaACCSES Sponsored Budget Amendments – GA 2013
LTESS Restoration of Previous Cuts & Current Shortages (Full) - $721,254 FY13 & $1,271,759 FY14):
Senate Patron – Item 330 #4s - Senator Emmitt Hanger
House Patron – Item 330 #4h - Delegate Patrick Hope; Item 330 #1h - Delegate Richard Anderson (Co-patrons – Ingram, Lopez, Greason, Morrissey); and Item 330 #2h - Delegate Jennifer McClellan
Amendment provides $ 721,264 GF the first year and $1,271,759 the second year for employment supports and job maintenance programs (LTESS/EES) for Virginians with disabilities. The amendment restores reductions from previous F08-12 budgets and provides funds for the current shortage of funding for FY13. Reductions and funding shortages represent a loss in funding of 26.9%. This program gets jobs and provides employment supports for Virginians with disabilities served through a private-public partnership with community-based Employment Services Organizations (ESOs). Funds are allocated based on recommendations from an established Steering Committee.
LTESS Partial Restoration of Previous Cuts & Current Shortages (Partial) - $535k - FY14:
House Patron – Item 330 #3h - Delegate Chris Jones (Co-patrons – Landes, Peace)
DMAS Individual SE Billable Services Consistent with DARS ISE Billable Services:
Senate Patron – Item 307 #20s - Senator Emmitt Hanger
House Patron – Item 307 #19h - Delegate Patrick Hope
“The Department of Medical Assistance Services shall realign the billable activities paid for individual supported employment provided under the Medicaid home and community-based waivers to the same established billable activities paid for individual supported employment to employment services organizations by DARS. The department shall implement this reimbursement change on July 1, 2013.”
This amendment adds language directing the department to realign the billable activities for individual supported employment under the waivers to be consistent with existing best practice activities for individual supported employment currently established at the Department of Aging and Rehabilitation Services. This change would increase access to individual supported employment for Virginians with disabilities. The fiscal impact, if any, is expected to be minimal due to more expensive waiver service offsets.
DARS – Vocational Case Service Funding - $2M GF FY14:
Senate Patron – Item 330 #2s - Senator Emmitt Hanger
This budget amendment provides $2M GF in the second year to restore a minimum of one category of employment services for Virginians with disabilities currently in Order of Selection. Under Order of Selection, individuals are served based on the severity of their disability and are “wait listed” if there are insufficient funds to serve all eligible individuals. Based on federal guidelines, DARS has been in Order of Selection since July 1, 2004. As of November 15, 2012, all categories are closed. Currently, 2,000 individuals are on a wait list for employment services. Funding will open at least one category of the wait list. Federal match for funding is 78/22.
DMAS – Waiver Fee-for-Service Cost-Based Rate Pilot - $5.4M ($2.7mGF & $2.7mNGF) – FY14:
Senate Patron – Item 307 #31s - Senator Charles Colgan (Co-Patrons – Senators Barker & Howell)
House Patron – Item 307 #19h - Delegate Patrick Hope
“The Dept. of Medical Assistance Services shall establish a fee-for-service rate aligned with the actual cost of delivering person-centered services for individuals with complex medical and behavioral needs to ensure the health, safety and welfare of Medicaid ID/DD waiver recipients effective July 1, 2013. This exceptional needs rate methodology shall be implemented as a pilot in Northern Virginia on July 1, 2013 to ensure the availability and choice of community-based waiver providers in NoVa. DMAS, and DBHDS, shall work with the established provider and stakeholder coalition in NoVa to develop the rate methodology. Recommendations from this workgroup shall establish the rate that will adequately meet the needs of ID/DD waiver participants in the NoVa pilot. The pilot region will include areas served by the CSBs of Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfaix-Falls Church, Prince William and Loudoun. The department shall have the authority to promulgate emergency regulations to implement this rate and pilot, if needed, effective July 1, 2013. Results of the pilot shall be considered in the submission of the new ID/DD waiver applications to CMS.”
This budget amendment includes $2,754,300 in GF and $2,754,300 in federal matching funds to provide estimated funding to implement the pilot for one year.