2019 Archive

QCDD Family Support Conference 2019

Photo credit – Ellen Arocho Photography

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Best Wishes to Cathy Warkala who has been the Director of the Queens Early Childhood Director Center for many years. She has also been an integral part of the Queens Council’s leadership as Co-Chair of the Children’s Committee.

Sadly, with the closing of all the Early Childhood Direction Centers throughout New York State, we wish Cathy and all of the ECDC staff the best, and thank you!

Get Help With Your Care Management Questions

The Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) now has a place on its homepage where you can quickly access information about care management and Care Coordination Organizations (CCOs). Visit www.opwdd.ny.gov  and click on the box titled Questions About Care Management?

Each CCO has a Customer Service Liaison who can help you with problems or questions you have about care management. Those liaisons are listed on the OPWDD web page at:https://link.zixcentral.com/u/f8289a34/TEZ47kx_6RGOwOfwhnsoMg?u=https%3A%2F%2Fopwdd.ny.gov%2Fopwdd_services_supports%2Fservice_coordination%2Fcare_management_contacts.

If you or someone you care for receives care management services and is having trouble getting assistance from a Care Manager, OPWDD’s regional Care Coordination Support Liaisons can also help. These liaisons are listed on OPWDD’s website at the following link:   https://link.zixcentral.com/u/58e10424/vPN47kx_6RGOwOfwhnsoMg?u=https%3A%2F%2Fopwdd.ny.gov%2Fproviders_staff%2Fcare_coordination_organizations%2Fservice_coordination%2Fmedicaid_service_coordination%2Fcontacts.

Please share this information with anyone receiving care management services.

QCDD Celebrating Success Photos 2019

Photo credit – Ellen Arocho Photography

“Details below on the recently approved on NYS Budget’s impact on the I/DD Community”

OPWDD

• • • • • Human Services COLA – $0 We are extremely disappointed that the final budget did not include the COLA (2.9% this year) and defers it to 3/31/21.
        • #bFair2DirectCare – the final budget included funding for a 2% increase, including salary and salary related fringe benefits, effective 1-1-20, for 100 and 200 codes and another 2% increase, effective 4-1-20, for 100, 200 and 300 codes. $8.4 million state share. Increases provided from 4-1-19 can be counted towards the 1-1-20 2% increase for 100 & 200.
        • Development – ACCEPTS the Governor’s proposal for an additional $30 million state share this year for a fully annualized all shares $120 million (state and Federal funding) in additional funding available for “Program Priorities,” including; certified housing supports in the community; more independent living; more day program and employment options and increased respite.
        • Housing – ACCEPTS the Governor’s proposal for an additional $15 million in capital funds to develop affordable housing.
        • Managed care readiness – ACCEPTS the Governor’s proposal for $5 million for the NY Alliance for Inclusion and Innovation “to improve provider readiness for managed care through the development of best practices, performance measurement and outcome monitoring tools.”
        • “More efficient use of state resources” – ACCEPTS the Governor’s proposal for OPWDD to continue to work with DOH and CMS on efficiencies including to “reconcile” room and board financial support against actual room and board costs and a proposal to modify rate methodology to reduce admin reimbursement to 15% in accordance with the cap in Executive Order 38 presumably on a program by program basis
        • Integrated outpatient services – ACCEPTS the Governor’s proposal to add Article 16s to the list of clinics that do not need an additional license to provide those services. Last year, Article 28, 31 and 32 clinics were granted joint licensure to provide any of those clinic services under their current license. Article 16 clinics are now included this year.
        • Minimum wage funding – ACCEPTS the Governor’s proposal for $47.4 million state funding (for a total of approximately $94.8 with the federal funds included).

SED

• • • • • The final budget increases public school aid by $1 billion or 3.8% but there are no recommended increases for 4410 or 853 schools. COPA has sent out an Alert asking everyone to contact their Regents to advocate that SED’s 853 and 4410 rate setting letter include:
        1. $15 million in increased teacher recruitment and retention funding
        2. A 3.8% tuition increase comparable with the general school aid increase.
        • Mental Health Education in Schools – ACCEPTS the Governor’s proposal for $1.5 million to prevent bullying, trauma, suicide etc.in schools.
        • School Waivers – REJECTS the Governor’s proposal that the Commissioner of SED to grant a waiver for any requirement imposed on a local school district, approved private school, or BOCES upon a finding that the waiver will result in implementation of an innovative special education program that is consistent with applicable federal requirements, and will enhance student achievement and/or opportunities for placement in regular classes and programs.

DOH

• • • • • Early Intervention – ACCEPTS the Governor’s proposal to provide a 5% rate increase for Early Intervention PTs, OTs and SLPs.  The Legislature did not expand the 5% increase to all EI providers as COPA had advocated.  Additionally, the “covered lives pool” language did not make it into the final budget.
        • Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP) Program/ Fiscal Intermediary (FI) Changes – MODIFIES the Governor’s language to require FIs to submit a contract application to DOH within 90 days of it’s posting on the DOH Eligible applicants include, but are not limited to, FIs established prior to 2012 and continually providing services, and independent living centers. “The selection  of contractors shall be based on criteria reasonably related to the contractors’ ability to provide fiscal intermediary services including but not limited to: ability to appropriately serve individuals participating in the program, geographic distribution  that would ensure access in rural and underserved areas, demonstrated cultural and language competencies specific to the population of consumers and those of the available workforce,  ability to  provide  timely consumer  assistance,  experience serving individuals with disabilities, the availability of consumer peer support, and  demonstrated compliance with  all  applicable  federal and state laws and regulations, including but not limited to those relating to wages and labor.”  FIs shall report annually to DOH in a form prescribed by the Department.  Additionally, the DOH Commissioner shall establish a stakeholder workgroup, no later than May 15, 2019, to address fiscal intermediary services, the needs of consumers including transition plans and criteria for selecting FIs. FI reimbursement would move to a per member/per month methodology with three corridors but we have not yet seen the final parameters or reimbursement amount for those corridors.
        • Health Facility Transformation Fund Phase IV– ACCEPTS the Governor’s proposal to use $300 million, of the $525 million in new Phase III funding, that was included in the 2018-2019 budget, to fund Phase II applicants that did not receive a These Phase II applicants will be rescored and those who will be awarded a grant, from the $300 million, will be notified by May 1, 2019.  There will be a new RFP for the remaining $225 million from phase III with no new funding in the 2019-2020 budget proposal for Phase IV.
        • Elimination of spousal or parental refusal – REJECTS the Governor’s proposal for a spouse or parent to cover the cost of long-term care services in order to qualify for Medicaid – ($5.9 million) state.
        • Electronic Visit Verification – ACCEPTS the Governor’s proposal of $10 million for EVV costs for home care.
        • Prescriber prevails – REJECTS the Governor’s proposal to repeal prescriber prevails for both managed care and fee for service Medicaid for a savings of ($22.45).
        • 0.8% Across the Board Medicaid Cuts for Article 28 Clinics etc. – REJECTS the original proposal but MODIFIES it to authorize that DOB and the State Health Commissioner MAY use a payment reduction plan to make across the board reductions, if necessary, to State Medicaid spending by $190. 2 million in SFY 2019-20 and 2020- 21.
        • Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) – ACCEPTS the Governor’s proposal for Medicaid coverage of ABA for over 4,000 children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, including those who have aged out of the Early Intervention $6.4 million for 2019-20.
        • Medicare Part B Cost-Sharing – REJECTS the Governor’s proposal to amend the language that ensures that payments for individuals who are both Medicare and Medicaid eligible shall be the same if the individual did not have Medicare to ensuring that the payment not exceed the Medicaid The savings is $23.3 million which would result from not paying the Medicare crossover amount to providers. There was concern that this would further limit the number of health practitioners who will to take Medicaid patients.
        • TBI – ACCEPTS the Governor’s proposal to move the TBI and NHTD waiver program under the Medicaid Global Cap.
        • Health Home Rate Reduction – INCREASES the Governor’s proposed $5 million to $20 million which will be achieved by “streamlining the outreach reimbursement rate for care managers after initial contact has been established. This reform will incentivize care managers to enroll new members in programs and connect them to the services they require while disincentivizing intense care management over an extended period.” This $20 million program reduction is of concern to our field as CCOs were modeled on health homes and many people with I/DD will require ongoing intense care management.

OMH

• • • • • Human Services COLA – $0 and defers the COLA (2.9% this year) to 3-31-21.
        • #bFair2DirectCare – the final budget included funding for a 2% increase, effective 1-1- 20, for 100 and 200 codes and another 2% increase, effective 4-1-20, for 100, 200 and 300 codes. $1.2 million state
        • Mental Health Education in Schools – ACCEPTS $1.5 million in the SED budget to prevent bullying, trauma, suicide
        • Supportive housing and SROs rate increase– ACCEPTS the Governor’s $10 million
        • Supports for high-need individuals – ACCEPTS the Governor’s $10 million for those residing in adult homes with specialized supports such as peer support and in-reach.
        • Community Reinvestment- ACCEPTS funding for community services expansion derived from the closure of additional state hospital beds of $5.5 million/$11 million fully annualized.
        • Capital Funds for Community Based Nonprofit Housing Providers – ACCEPTS $60 million
        • Behavioral Health Parity – budget includes several million dollars to enhance staff at the Department of Financial Services and the Department of Health to help assure health plans have adequate  provider  networks  and  are  in  compliance  with  parity  requirements dedicated to network adequacy and reviewing existing health plans to help ensure compliance with parity. Some of the specifics are:
        • Assures 28 days of SUD services and 14 days of inpatient psychiatric services for youth without the barriers associated with prior or concurrent insurer and health plan approval
        • Assures access to prescribed medications for treatment of substance use related conditions without prior insurer and health plan approval
        • Assures that the clinical review criteria used by utilization review agents must be approved by OMH and OASAS
        • Requires insurers and health plans to post additional information regarding their in-network providers of MH/SU services

Save the date for Celebrating Success 2019 – April 16, 2019 at 6 pm

Location: QCP 81-15 164^th Street, Jamaica, NY 11432

QCDD Legislative Breakfast 2019 Photos

Click here to view photos

Lobbying Initiatives 

Please continue contacting your legislative officials about the following issues:

Click here for your legislative official’s contact information

Office for People with Development Disabilities programs:

 Provide #bFair2DirectCare funding for a living wage for staff

 Include a 2.9% Human Service COLA/Trend for nonprofit providers.

 Adequately fund supports for individuals with complex needs.

 Provide adequate funding for out of home residential needs.

 Invest in and provide financial stability for clinics that serve people with
developmental disabilities.

State Education Department programs

Support the #ourkidsareYOURkids campaign:

 Provide an additional $15 million for special education schools to narrow
the teacher compensation gap.

 Provide special education schools a comparable tuition increase with the
state aid increase.

 Include language in the budget requiring “Interim Plus Rates” for 4410 and
853 special schools waiting for rates.