Kansas to use MFEI for IDD waiver eligibility; go‑live set for July 1, 2025

Seth Kilber, assistant commissioner for the long term services and supports commission at Cadence, said during a March modernization webinar that the Multidimensional Functional Eligibility Instrument (MFEI) will be the tool used to determine eligibility for Kansas IDD Medicaid waiver services starting July 1, 2025.

Kilber said the MFEI will produce a simple, binary determination — “yes or no” — on whether an individual qualifies for the waiver, while the fuller interRAI assessment will remain the core instrument used by managed care organizations and targeted case managers to create person‑centered service plans and allocate resources.

The change matters because Kansas has historically combined level‑of‑care eligibility with service‑planning tiers under the BASIS assessment; officials said the MFEI separates the binary eligibility decision from the support‑needs planning that determines hours and funding. Kilber said the state hopes the shift will be “more data driven” and align waiver practice with federal Medicaid HCBS expectations, including CMS encouragement to use validated tools.

Under the existing approach, Community Developmental Disability Organizations (CDDOs) complete the BASIS assessment and enter scores that produce a tier 1–5 level of care result; that tier has frequently informed service‑planning and funding. Kilber said the MFEI will be entered into KDADS systems by CDDOs and return only an eligible/ineligible result. He described two options still under consideration for how any future needs‑based tiering might be derived: either a tier system based solely on MFEI results or a combined approach that uses the full interRAI data used by MCOs and case managers.

Officials gave dates for related workstreams: Kilber said the MFEI go‑live is on track for 07/01/2025; unbundling of day services is targeted no sooner than 07/01/2026; and the proposed community sports waiver remains on track for late spring/summer 2026. He also noted the state is exploring time‑limited grant funding, including American Rescue Plan Act dollars, to help providers adapt to changes required by the modernization efforts.

Stakeholders at the webinar raised concerns about documentation and potential losses or reductions of service during transition. Kilber said the state "doesn't anticipate there to be anyone losing eligibility" and described safeguards: grandfathering for people currently assigned to tiers until a finalized resource allocation methodology is set; an option to reassess individuals under the old BASIS if needed; and existing grievance and appeals processes through MCOs up to state fair hearings.

Participants also pressed for clarity about the MCO care‑planning tools that will use interRAI data. In response to a question that asked if the MCO tool was being kept from stakeholders, Kilber said MCO care plans will look similar to the MFEI in many places but will contain additional questions and that the state is working on a crosswalk so MCOs can access MFEI data and avoid duplicate assessments. One commenter asked, “Is it a secret?”; Kilber acknowledged the need to provide a clearer crosswalk and more transparency about which additional items MCOs will ask.

Kilber closed by reminding stakeholders about biweekly open office hours for additional questions and said a newsletter summarizing the webinar would be released. He urged providers to consider whether available grant funding could help align their services with the HCBS settings rule and the modernization objectives.