DOH Holds Webinar on HCBS Settings Rule Assessment Process for MLTC Plans and Social Day Programs

The Department of Health’s (DOH) Office of Health Insurance Programs (OHIP) held a webinar last week for Managed Long Term Care (MLTC) plans and Social Adult Day Care (SADC) programs setting forth the process for carrying out SADC program assessment and compliance with the federal Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Settings Rule. 

Members can learn more about the HCBS Settings Rule and recently issued MLTC and SADC guidance documents here. The webinar explained the rule and the process by which plans will carry out the assessment process of all contracting SADC programs. MLTC plans and SADC programs will work on this process together, and plans will submit assessments on behalf of programs by the end of December. Each MLTC plan will carry out an assessment of each SADC program it contracts with, which means that multiple assessments will be carried out per program/per plan.

The self-assessment will create a snapshot of where SADC programs stand in compliance with the rule. Programs will then take steps over the course of 2022 to develop practices, policies, and procedures to come into compliance. Remediation activities will start in February, with plans monitoring compliance. The process will also include site-level assessments, heightened scrutiny, and independent experience assessments to gauge Person-Centered Service Planning. DOH plans to work with programs to develop policies and procedures to come into compliance. The deadline for compliance is March 2023.

SADC programs that are still closed must report their closed status to the Department by filling in Program Question #1 with the status of their program as permanently closed or temporarily closed due to COVID-19. Closed programs planning to reopen at a later date must fill out the report. Sites that are not open will not have site visits for the assessment. When a site reopens, assessments will be carried out.

DOH will be posting the webinar as soon as it is available on the MLTC Policy site. DOH is working on setting up its own webpage for SADCs regarding the HCBS Settings Rule.

LeadingAge NY will be reaching out to member SADCs to discuss the HCBS Settings Rule requirements.

Contact: Meg Everett, meverett@leadingageny.org, 518-929-9342