HCBS Transition Plan

Georgia begins process to address new regulations issued by CMS for Home and Community Based Services

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have issued regulations that define the settings in which it is permissible for states to pay for Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS), otherwise known as waiver services. The purpose of these new regulations is to ensure that individuals receive Medicaid HCBS in settings that are integrated and that support full access to the greater community. This includes opportunities to seek employment and work in competitive and integrated settings, engage in community life, control personal resources, and receive services in the community to the same degree as individuals who do not receive HCBS.

Please see the HCBS Settings Rule and Transition Plan Fact Sheet for more information.

New Statewide Transition Plan available for Public Comment through March 16, 2020.

PUBLIC NOTICE -- Home and Community-Based Waiver Services Statewide Transition Plan - 

The Georgia Department of Community Health is required to give public notice related to the state’s plan to comply with new regulation governing the settings in which services to Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services waiver recipients may be provided.

The HCBS Transition Plan explains the steps the state has taken and will take to come into compliance with the Settings Rule Regulation. The Rule provides definitions and characteristics of HCBS (e.g. HCBS are community-integrated) and the state’s responsibility is to explain how it will assure and validate that HCBS waiver services are being provided in a manner that matches the definitions and characteristics.

The public may comment in writing on or before March 16, 2020, by sending postal mail to the Department of Community Health, Attn: HCBS Transition – 37th Floor, 2 Peachtree Street, NW, Atlanta, Georgia 30303; or by submitting an email to HCBSTransition@dch.ga.gov; or by fax to 404-656-8366.

An opportunity for oral public comment will be held on February 20, 2020, 10:30 a.m. in the 5th Floor Board Room of the 2 Peachtree Street building

2020 Georgia Statewide Transition Plan and Appendices

HCBS 2020 State Plan (1.27 MB)

HCBS Transition Plan Public Notice (20.31 MB)

Appendix B_HCBS STP Reference Documents (166.19 KB)

Appendix C - HCBS Policy Remediation Plan Final (625.66 KB)

Appendix D - HCBS Final Rule Regulatory Change Recommendations (335.92 KB)

Appendix F_GA_Landlord_Tenant_Handbook_2017 (510.39 KB)

Appendix G1_HCBS Provider Survey Residential Site Questions (270.55 KB)

Appendix G2_HCBS Provider Survey NonResidential Site Questions (265.99 KB)

Appendix I_Georgia-Roommate-Agreement-Template (104.23 KB)

Appendix J.1 HCBS Settings Rule Policy Review Updated (1.41 MB)

Appendix K - GA Remediation Strategy Flow (140.6 KB)

Georgia Home and Community Based Settings Noncompliance report form 06012019 (175.02 KB)

Georgia Home and Community Based Settings Survey for Individuals_05_1_2019 (271.45 KB)

Lease Protections Draft from GHPC WR (222.77 KB)

Revised Personal Care Home Agreement for HCBS_STP 2019 (92.37 KB)

Georgia Statewide Transition Plan and  Appendices -Submitted to CMS 3/17/17 

• Statewide Transition Plan  - Posted 3/20/17
• Appendix A -- GA Milestones for HCBS STP - Posted 02/16/17
• Appendix C -- DCH e-blast - Posted 08/08/16
• Appendix D -- HCBS Final Rule Regulatory Change Recommendations - Posted 08/08/16
• Appendix E -- HCBS Settings Rule Policy Review Updated - Posted 08/08/16
• Appendix G -- GHPC Provider Survey Report - Posted 08/08/16
• Appendix H -- Consumer Survey Output - Posted 08/08/16
• Appendix H1-- Provider and Member Response Match Rate - Posted 02/27/17
• Appendix I -- Member Survey Comments - Updated 02/16/17
• Appendix J -- HCBS Policy Remediation Plan Final - Posted 08/08/16
• Appendix K-- GA Remediation Strategy Flow - Posted 08/08/16
• Appendix L -- Settings that Isolate Final - Posted 08/08/16
• Appendix M -- Settings Isolation Survey Summary - Posted 03/20/17

Statewide Transition Plan - Archive Information 

For more details about the requirements of the new regulation, please see this Issue Brief on the Final Rule by the Association of University Centers on Disabilities.

• Elderly & Disabled Waiver Transition Plan
• Independent Care Waiver Program
• New Options Waiver and Comprehensive Support Waiver -- Updated 12/01/14

The official Public Notices supporting these activities are available for viewing, as well.

• Elderly & Disabled Waiver Public Notice -- Updated 08/25/14
• Independent Care Waiver Program --Updated 08/25/14
• New Options Waiver -- Updated 08/25/14
• Comprehensive Support Waiver -- Updated 08/25/14

Overview of Regulations HCBS -- The Basics -- Posted 08/27/14

Summary

The goal of the Statewide Transition Plan is to establish the steps that will be required for all waiver services and supporting infrastructures and policies to come into compliance with the HCBS Settings Rule. The Statewide Transition Plan has four major sections:

1. Identification – describes how the state will identify all the HCBS settings, policies, standards, etc., that will need to be assessed
2. Assessment –  describes how the assessment will be performed
3. Remediation – if the assessment results in findings that indicate a setting, policy, standard, etc., that does not conform to the new HCBS rule, the remediation section will describe how that discrepancy will be corrected.

Please see the draft Statewide Transition Plan for your review and feedback. 

• Statewide Transition Plan - FINAL Draft -- Updated 11/04/14
• Statewide Transition Plan -- Revised per Public Comment -- Posted 12/16/14
• FACT SHEET-- HCBS Settings Rule and Transition Plan -- Posted 11/04/14

Per the CMS Rule regarding Transition Planning, the state has summarized comments received through public comment. At this link, you will find the summary and state’s response regarding impact to the Transition Plan. The same summary is applicable to the initial Transition Plans submitted with each waiver amendment. 

Posted 07/02/14 - Updated 10/24/14