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As part of INARF’s continuing commitment to ensuring members are informed, we have compiled updates on key issues and activities in which the INARF Board of Directors, Governmental Affairs Committee, and Staff have been engaged in on your behalf (Members Only). Have a question or want to share your perspective on the issues below? Please contact either Christiaan Campbell or Keith Digman for assistance. Have an issue or concern that is impacting your business that is not listed in this update? Please let us know by clicking here. Healthy Indiana Plan 2.0: Although the Medicaid Forecast included assumptions that HIP 2.0 would launch by January 1, the Plan has still not gained approval from the federal government. In a recent interview, Pence confirmed that after six months of negotiations, the primary issue remains the difference between Indiana’s “Consumer-Driven Healthcare Model,” and traditional Medicaid. If approved, HIP 2.0 could potentially add 320,000 Hoosiers to the Medicaid roles. FSSA remains in a state of “readiness” to implement the Plan, as soon as approval is given. Waiver Re-Write and Rate Reform Activities: The Division of Disability and Rehabilitative Services (DDRS) submitted a renewal of the Family Supports Waiver (FSW) and an amendment to the Community Integration and Habilitation Waiver (CIHW) before the end of the year, as expected. Each submission included transition plans for bringing Indiana services into compliance with the CMS definition of Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS). INARF prepared comments for both waivers and was actively engaged in discussions surrounding several key elements. DDRS is now awaiting approval or follow-up questions from CMS. Facility and Community-Based Employment Services: The VR Rate Reform Work Group met with Bureau of Rehabilitation Services (BRS) staff to discuss stakeholder input on the “Hybrid Model” and modifications being made in response. From INARF’s perspective key changes resulting from this feedback were modifications to on-going support and adjustment of the hourly rate – both are important to eliminating barriers to effectively supporting individuals with most significant disabilities. The group will now meet every three weeks to develop service definitions, documentation requirements, and training curricula. BRS is still anticipating a launch of the new model, statewide, on July 1, 2015. In early January, BRS released a Provider Application that must be completed and submitted by February 7 in order for an organization to be considered for a Provider Service contract that will replace the POSA on July 1, 2015. The application requires several assurances by providers, and breaks down services into several areas. Providers must specifically state what services they wish to provide and in which counties they wish to operate. The INARF Membership Support and Development Committee (MSDC) identified Facility and Community-Based Employment Services as a top priority for 2015. As such, work groups will be developed to identify member training needs, research best practices for increasing community-based services, and to submit recommendations to DDRS and to the membership. Supervised Group Living Work Group: The Extensive Support Needs (ESN) Work Group will be reviewing draft policies and procedures and providing feedback at their next meeting. The draft policies are intended to provide guidance to Bureau of Developmental Disability Services field staff regarding roles and expectations for the program. Gap Analysis Project: The Gap Analysis was shared with legislators in December, including Sen. Grooms and Sen. Breaux who called for the study during their tenure on the now-defunct Developmental Disability Commission. The final report is now ready to be shared publicly and may be accessed by clicking here. Key recommendations include developing a pilot patterned after the First Steps Systems Point of Entry approach. It is anticipated legislation to support this pilot will be considered during the upcoming session. Wellness Coordination: Issues remain relative to implementation of Wellness Coordination. INARF and individual members have continued to share these concerns with BDDS. To support this effort, the INARF Membership Support & Development Committee will be clarifying key issues and developing recommendations for solutions that ensure efficient, sustainable service delivery. Quality Improvement Initiative: A meeting of members of the Membership Support and Development Committee was held in late December to identify deliverables and to set priorities for the “System of Excellence” program. Key areas of focus will be the expansion and refinement of Indiana Core Indicators, a deliberate and systematic process for provider assistance, the development of an “Industry Intelligence Center,” and identification of professional development activities around quality and best practices.