Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Hcbs Reentry topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
DMS outlines 1915(c) HCBS waivers, wait lists and says reentry 1115 flexibility is live
Summary
DMS presented an overview of Kentucky’s 1915(c) home‑and‑community‑based service waivers, reported wait lists (HCB 6,958; Michelle P 9,688; SCL 3,841) with an unduplicated total emphasized at about 16,000, and announced that the state’s 1115 reentry authority went live on May 10, enabling pre‑release services in prisons and youth centers.
Carmen Hancock, division director for long‑term services and supports at the Department for Medicaid Services, gave the Medicaid Advisory Committee an overview of Kentucky’s 1915(c) HCBS waivers and related long‑term services on May 11.
Hancock said Kentucky has about 1.4 million Medicaid enrollees, including roughly 440,000 expansion members and more than 65,000 providers. She described waiver eligibility, levels of care (nursing facility, ICF, inpatient psychiatric for under‑21 in the child waiver) and delivery models (traditional agency, participant‑directed, hybrid). She listed typical waiver services such as environmental modifications, respite, community living supports, supported employment and residential supports.
Hancock presented current waiting‑list figures from a handout: 6,958 people on the HCB wait list, 9,688 on the Michelle P list and 3,841 on the SCL list; she emphasized an unduplicated total of approximately 16,000 individuals in the handout. "So I really want to focus not on the 20,000 number, but more on that 16,000 number," Hancock said.
Separately, Leslie Hoffman announced that Kentucky’s 1115 reentry flexibility had been approved and went live at 10 a.m. the previous day. That authority allows pre‑release screening, care coordination, connection to managed care organizations and intensive care case management that follows individuals for a year after release. Hoffman said the initial rollout covers 14 state prisons and six youth development centers, with plans to expand engagement with jails; DMS staff cautioned that manual workarounds were being used during early operationalization.
Committee members asked practical questions about PACE (Program of All‑Inclusive Care for the Elderly), whether PACE can cover homemaking or cleaning assistance, and enrollment criteria. Alicia Clark, assistant director for LTSS, said PACE organizations receive a per‑member capitation and provide medically necessary services approved by the interdisciplinary team; personal‑care‑type services may be covered if the team approves them and they are medically necessary to keep someone safely in the community.
What’s next: DMS said it will continue to share resources and links on waivers and encouraged MAC members to reach out with cases or questions for follow up. The department emphasized stakeholder input through IT and notice work groups as HR 1 implementation proceeds.
