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HHS News Release:
Iowa is the first state to receive federal approval to add home and community based services (HCBS) as a permanent feature of its Medicaid plan, eliminating the need for repeated requests for time-limited waivers, HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt announced today.
"Iowa is the first to benefit from the federal law giving states more choice over their Medicaid benefit plans," Secretary Mike Leavitt said.
Under section 6086 of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (DRA), states may now permanently alter their standard Medicaid benefit package, eliminating the need to get previous statutory requirements "waived."
Once a state plan has been approved, any changes to it must be reviewed and approved by HHS.
In addition to eliminating the need for waiver renewals, the DRA also removes the prior statutory requirement that beneficiaries get needed services at home only if they would need institutional care without them.
States can now provide home- and community-based care under its state plan to those who may not yet be at risk for immediate institutionalization.
Posted on April 5, 2007 10:54 PM
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