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Section 21 Home Support- Agency Per Diem: Authorizations in Two-Person Homes Requirements Reminder
With the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency and Appendix K flexibilities, Section 21 Home Support- Agency Per Diem providers must follow service requirements outlined in the MaineCare Benefits Manual (MBM) regarding the number of members served. MBM Ch. II, Section 21.10-6 states "As of December 24, 2012, Home Support- Agency Per Diem placements will only be approved at provider-controlled homes where a minimum of two (2) Members reside.” As a general rule, providers should always identify two members in their requests submitted in Atrezzo for rate determination. To clarify, two members should also be identified in Atrezzo requests when a home is entirely vacant; it is not permissible to request authorization for one member to move in while the provider works to fill the vacancy. The Department will only issue authorizations for a setting with one member when there is:
Action Alert from MACSP:
The MaineCare Section 21 Home and Community Benefits for Members with Intellectual Disabilities or Autism Spectrum Disorder Waiver Renewal is open for public comment through Sunday, March 9 at 11:59pm. Below is the action alert that we are sharing with our members and allies to encourage the Department to implement a true per diem rate OR to lower the staffing level back to 85% until such time as new rates or a true per diem model is implemented. https://www.votervoice.net/MEACSP/campaigns/122953/respond Thanks again for your support and advocacy! From AARP and The Arc:
Senator Cortez-Masto (D-NV) will be serving as the new Democratic co-lead of the SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act in the Senate. We remain immensely grateful to Senator Brown and his staff for their extensive efforts steering this bill last congress. Cortez-Masto's team was in part motivated to take up this issue thanks to direct engagement from constituents, so we are particularly thankful to everyone who did so much to bring directly impacted voices in front of congressional offices and staff. Currently, Senator Cortez-Masto and Senator Cassidy are aiming to re-introduce the bill in March, and have requested help reconfirming organizational endorsements. The House co-leads, Rep. Davis and Rep. Fitzpatrick, expect to re-introduce the bill in the House shortly after the Senate version is reintroduced. The new bill text has no changes other than updating the effective dates and is available at this link: (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Yr_E5aPGtVFjl0VYGxFWSvYuMv256Tu3/view?usp=sharing). Please consider signing onto this joint letter to express your organization’s support for and endorsement of the bill. The letter is mostly the same as our joint letter from the 118th, but it includes some additional information about how the bill addresses a harmful marriage penalty. You can view the letter and sign on using the form at this link: https://forms.gle/6fZbQRJP2Vtk9YdM7 The deadline for sign-on's and endorsements is COB March 7th. Work & Benefits Navigator Trainings
Trainings are now available for any professionals working through the waiver programs. The Work and Benefit Navigator Training through MaineHealth is funded by OADS. The training content is required in several positions where staff are supporting waiver members to learn about employment as required by the Home and Community Based Global Rule. April Session - Virtual This session is for employment support providers only such as Employment Specialists, VR Counselors, and Clubhouse Staff. April 10 and 17, 2025, from 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM Trainees must attend both sessions in the same month June Session - Augusta This session is for non-employment providers only such as case managers, residential staff, and educators. June 3, 2025, from 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM Location: Maine Department of Labor, 45 Commerce Drive, Augusta Space is limited. Registration is required. Confirmation will be sent two weeks before session. Cost is $25; no cost for DHHS employees or VR Counselors. Contact hours available. Must attend entire session and actively participate to receive credit. Click here to register! Take Action: Urgent Vote on Thursday!
Restore COLAs and Reject Changes to the MaineCare Rate Setting System (Part UU) in the Biennial Budget - Support the Direct Care Workforce and Protect Vital Services! WHAT’S HAPPENING? The Health and Human Services (HHS) Committee is scheduled to vote this Thursday (3/6/25) on whether to restore COLA funding in the FY26-FY27 biennial budget. The Governor’s proposed budgets suspend cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) for MaineCare direct care services—not just for six months, but for the next two fiscal years. It also pauses funding for much of the required five-year rate determination cycle and labor adjustments meant to support wages at 125% of the minimum wage by making these provisions “subject to available appropriations.” WHY THIS MATTERS • COLAs have been a lifeline for helping community-based agencies retain dedicated and skilled staff by allowing modest but meaningful wage increases. • Direct care workers are already in short supply, and with Maine’s minimum wage rising 3.5% this year alone (from $14.15 to $14.65), annual COLAs are a necessity, not a luxury for keeping up with wage increases and increased costs of delivering services. • MaineCare law (22 M.R.S.A §3173-J and §7402) currently require annual COLAs and adjustments to labor components of MaineCare direct care service rates as well as adjustments to rates that have been assessed through a rate determination process, ensuring stable wages for essential care workers and adequate reimbursement rates for the delivery of services to thousands of Maine’s most vulnerable adults and children. Suspending COLAs and making rate adjustments “subject to available” funding violates this commitment and threatens the stability of direct care services. WHAT YOU CAN DO? The Health and Human Services (HHS) Committee is voting this Thursday on whether to restore COLA funding in the FY26-FY27 biennial budget. Make your voice heard! 📢 Contact HHS Committee members today and tell them: • COLAs are key to retaining the direct care workforce and keeping individuals with intellectual disabilities, autism, and brain injuries supported in the community. • Share your perspective—whether you are a direct support worker, provider, parent, guardian, individual receiving services, or ally. A personal message makes a difference! Click on the link for a sample email message template and list of email addresses: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pHm_-BdFCnMldaaRV-cDX66jbWWAb6HEjGxqSZ6LoeA/edit?usp=sharing on the link for a template: Innovation Summit Registration is Now OPEN!DHHS and the Office of Aging and Disability Services presents Innovation Summit: A Path for Maine.
The Innovation Summit: A Path for ME will be held in Portland, Maine, from May 19 to May 20, 2025, bringing together individuals, families, service providers, advocates, vendors, and professionals committed to enhancing the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, autism, brain injuries, or other similar conditions. This dynamic event promises two days of learning, networking, and community building, focused on improving access, services, and opportunities for individuals with disabilities. Conference Highlights Included in your Registration:
Summit Details:
For questions about the Innovation Summit, please visit www.InnovationSummitME.com for more information. Statewide Marketing of Adult Day Services The Office of Aging and Disability Services is excited to announce a statewide marketing effort to increase awareness of Adult Day Services. The marketing plan includes digital, broadcast and cable television, and streaming segments as well as a refresh to the OADS Adult Day Services webpage. OADS previously notified Adult Day Services providers in September about the marketing campaign. To help evaluate the impact of this campaign, OADS requested that providers ask the following question to families who call to inquire about services between October 1 and January 31, 2025. How did you hear about Adult Day Services? (Check all that apply.)
 Please send the cumulative results to Thom Snyder ([email protected]) by March 14, 2025.
For questions, email [email protected]. MaineCare Notice of Agency Waiver Renewal, MaineCare Benefits Manual, Section 21, Home and Community Benefits for Members with Intellectual Disabilities or Autism Spectrum Disorder
Feb 06, 2025 The Division of Policy posts all proposed and recently adopted rules on MaineCare’s Policy and Rules webpage. This website keeps the proposed rules on file until they are finalized and until the Secretary of State website is updated to reflect the changes. The MaineCare Benefits Manual is available on-line at the Secretary of State’s website. Below, please find a MaineCare Notice of Agency Waiver Renewal. You can access the complete details at http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/oms/rules/index.shtml. Home and Community-Based Services Access Rule Feedback RequestAs part of the Maine Department of Health and Human Services’ (DHHS) preparations for the Access Rule, there is a survey where you can provide feedback on planning for the new rule. When you have a few moments, please consider filling out the survey here. It will be open through February 14th, 2025.
As a reminder, you may also provide written feedback on planning for the Access Rule requirements and current processes by emailing [email protected] by February 14th, 2025. Please indicate your relationship with Maine’s Office of Aging and Disability Services (OADS) programs in the email. To better understand how OADS is striving to make Medicaid services easier to access and better for everyone, find out more here. Individual-Directed Goods and Services (IDGS): An Overview Video
The Office of Aging and Disability Services (“OADS”) in partnership with Applied Self-Direction has created a new training video to support the Self-Directed Services of Individual-Directed Goods and Services. In this video, we explain the concept of Individual-Directed Goods and Services (IDGS) in the Maine Self-Direction Program. IDGS offers flexibility for members to purchase items or services to manage disabilities that work towards goals. Learn how IDGS accrual works, the process of requesting purchases, and the importance of aligning purchases with the member's needs and goals. Viewers are reminded to include all IDGS items in the spending plan and to follow guidelines to ensure purchases are allowable. The link to access this training video can be found here. The OADS Self-Direction website offers a comprehensive collection of employer resources, budgeting tools, and educational materials, including handbooks, video guides, and workflow documentation to help individuals throughout their self-direction journey. From practical tools like the updated Individual-Directed Goods and Services Request Form to essential guidance through the Employer Handbook and its video series, the site ensures users have everything they need to successfully manage supports and services. |
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