When
February 14, 2019
10am - 12pm
Where
Springfield: 100 S. Grand Avenue East, 3rd Executive Video Conference Room
Chicago: 401 S. Clinton, 7th Floor, IDHS Executive Video Conference Room
Conference Number: 888-494-4032 access 834-224-3963
Agenda
- Introductions
- New Business
- Division Updates (DD, EI, DRS,DMH, ISBE)
- Workgroup Updates
- Transition
- Insurance
- Act Early
- Old Business
- BCBA
- Announcements
- Next Steps
- 2019 meeting schedule
I. Introductions:
Patti Boheme, Pete DiCianni, Sherry Ladislas, Ann Cutler, Terry Herbstritt, Christine Hammond, Dr Brouillard, Colleen Shinn, Brian Dacy, Tony DiVittorio, James Runyon, Amy Cohen, Candice Gizewski, Kit Obrien-Cota, Ruth Ann Sikora, Melissa Gould, Theresa Forthofer, N. Onwuameze, Matia Ovalle, Virginia Murray, Stephanie Brown, Constance Williams, Andrea Shryock, Rob Daniels, Amanda Brott, Zoubida Pasha, Karen Fried, Andrea Sagel, Connie Heinz, Carlos Ovalle, Marla Root -Guest
II. New Business:
Marla Root from the Illinois/Ohio Autism Insurance Coalition
Started Illinois in mid- December Providers families and advocacy groups
Formed the Ohio coalition in 2017
The purpose is to help family's access insurance for Autism therapy: www.ASDOhio.com
- Ensure access to prescribed treatments
- Be a Resource
- Provide Educational training, the more knowledge parents and providers have the better they can act on
- Collect data Impact public policy
The Website roll out, and family's having discussion with the legislature
In Ohio, parents sued Medicaid, now providing it on case by case basis
We reached out to Medicaid - asking them to engage.
Ohio has hired a CPT coding expert - roll out with new codes
For people who live in Illinois- insurance can come from other states, the website will have support for this issue. The plan benefit is based on the state the plan is in. There are Webinars on the website.
We also help with denials based on other cases won
Stephanie Brown stated she would be interested to help facilitate a parent group in Southern Illinois.
The more providers that join the coalition the more we can do.
A question was asked if the 1115 waiver topic came up. Marla answered no on that waiver. It supposedly past around last May and if there was something in there it would be on their radar.
Team up with community health centers with ABA practitioner therapy centers
EPSDT benefit only last until 22, needs adult based treatment.
In Illinois those systems are restricted to people on those waiver services, Ohio has much larger waiver funding.
Illinois has many unfunded insurance mandates.
Grupo Salto sponsored by TAP provides education to schools on facts on Autism, gaining independence, life experiences, mentoring for younger kids with Autism on Saturday ( at UIC)
Help out job coaching, job mentoring, mental health discussion and getting assistance
There is a group of approximately 12-16 that meet once a month.
Patti asked for written information on the group that can be shared
III. Division Updates
DD- Kit Obrien-Cota - no update
EI- Melissa Gould -no update, working to keep the payments updated to the providers.
A question for EI - new Governor is reevaluating the qualifications for EI - Governor Rauner was creating greater delays. EI does not have information but will update everyone when they do get an update.
DRS-No Update
ISBE -Connie Heinz- Collaborating with DRS monthly, partnership is going out with inservice to districts.
There was a question regarding behavioral analysis in schools, BCBA rules as far as who can and what rules apply? Send Connie an email with questions regarding this.
DMH- Constance Williams - no major changes except in terms of billing, majority of rule 140 governs billing. HFS governs what is going on. Providers provide services that are Medicaid. DMH is governed by HFS on billing, it's a delicate balance.
IV. Workgroup Updates
Transition committee - met with Phil Milsk in December, Employment first transition committee there had not been a lot of movement and there were concerns about getting it to move forward. We had felt it would be beneficial to be part of this bigger picture. Zoubida, Patti and Chris were going to join in on that task force sub-committee meeting.
Are these committees open committees was a question and we will find out.
Act Early-No updates
Insurance- Pete DiCianni: Deb Conroy will be sponsoring the Insurance legislation and a hearing scheduled for Thursday, February 21, 2019 and the bill will be filed tomorrow. Hearing is on the issue not any witness slips. A couple speakers are lined up and but they do not want it to be lengthy.
V. Old Business
a. BCBA
Meghan Roberts has some research that she would like to share once it's put together on EI
BCBA task force had comments on the language with folks getting comments.
The revised wording still needs to be reviewed - especially the piece on the certification. ILABA wanted to know why we were seeking to add certified to the language exempt. "Individual licensed or certified" was the language.
Do we have a clean version that can be sent out? Can we move it forward with the word certified.
Candice does not know but they are moving ahead with the bill and if there is additional feedback we need to get to them.
We need to share our language with them and this is the language that the task force has agreed upon and we would like to send out a letter of support if it conforms to our language requirements.
Jim has the most current language dated February 5, 2019
We can vote on the redlined comment, this is what we approved. Based on the redlined copy we all read and we can send an appropriate letter to ILABA, if there is a subsequent copy we can't comment on that. This is the language that we approved and if there are iterations since that time then we can't comment without reviewing again.
Everyone agreed on the new language. Jim just sent out the current language.
We will do a voice vote on agreement 16 in agreement, none opposing, state agency representatives abstain
VI. Announcements:
Stephanie Brown announced the invite to Autism Awareness and advocacy day: April 2, 2019 at the State capital. Four representatives will announce on the floor and we have a proclamation from the governor. If you want to set up a table or be a guest speaker let Stephanie know. Chris will send out the information
VII. Next Steps
Kit Obrien-Cota was going to look into the approval of the 1115 waiver - is not connected to the DD division. It was a mental health focus and substance abuse, HFS was connected to behavioral health. Marla has a document she can send to Chris and how DD is connected to this. The goal was to create community based services; a lot of the focus went to the community to build a network with money to provide the services. Marla will get information on her website regarding this.
Meeting Schedule:
Thursday, May 9, 2019 is the next IATF meeting date.
Thursday, August 8, 2019 the following meeting date.