Good Afternoon,
I want to start with a message of thanks and acknowledgement to our provider community right now. Two weeks ago, DDD released guidance for the submission of policy and site evidence which is the next step in meeting the HCBS settings rules. We know this is a huge lift for organizations during a time of continued challenges with staffing and COVID-19 fatigue. The Division thanks you. We will work with you to get this done so we can ultimately be compliant in March 2023. It's a quick turnaround, but together, we can do it. Thank you!
Also, a quick reminder to register for Thursday's DDD Update webinar with me! I'll be talking about the DDD's proposed budget, DSP training changes, the Settings Rule, Employment statistics and more!
QUICK NOTES
- Per IDPH, the preliminary seven-day statewide COVID-19 positivity for cases as a percent of total test from February 18-24, 2022 is 1.8%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from February 18- 24, 2022 is 2.4%.
- Please note that blanket 37U (At Home Day) ended yesterday, February 28, 2022. Also, as a reminder, the 15% temporary CDS increase will expire on March 31, 2022.
- As a reminder, both Children's Waivers are currently posted for public comment until March 18, 2022. The public comment notice is posted online PDF.
UPDATED MASK GUIDANCE
We understand that new masking guidelines have been released for the State of Illinois based on updated CDC guidance. In consultation with the Illinois Department of Public Health, they have advised that no changes to the policy are recommended for our Community Day Services and CILA settings.
ON-SITE REVIEWS
We wanted to share with providers that DDD staff will return to on-site reviews this week. You can expect staff from the Bureau of Quality Management (BQM) and/or our Health Facilities Surveillance Nursing team to arrive on site. We will still be notifying providers of intent to review prior to the visit to discuss current COVID-19 activity at the agency.
ROCS 6.12 RELEASE
A new version of ROCS will be released soon. ROCS 6.11 is unable to correctly process SEP billing. Billing and/or re-billing SEP hours should not occur until the new version is released. We'll send notification when ROCS 6.12 is released. We apologize for the ongoing challenges with billing. Hopefully this will resolve all issues.
UPDATED CILA RATE SHEETS
The Division was made aware that CILA rate sheets did not reflect the move to 5 unbillable hours (from 7 hours) for 5-8 bed CILAs which impacted the rates of approximately 7,000 individuals. The additional 2 hours will increase individual's annual rates by approximately $4,600. Provider remittance reports will be auto adjusted to reflect the amount. The Division hopes to have updated rate sheets delivered in the coming months, however, in the interim, you can expect to see an annualized increase of approximately $4,600 reflected on your remittance reports.
7% TEMPORARY COVID-19 CILA PREMIUM
As a reminder, the temporary 7% CILA per-diem increase is set to expire on June 30, 2022. We want to remind providers that this increase will impact the remittance reports for services and will not match the rate sheets that were run without the temporary increase included.
NEW HOST FAMILY RENT CALCULATOR
Since the implementation of the new rate methodologies for Host Family and Intermittent CILA, the Division has received several messages from providers indicating the HUD Fair Market Rent (FMR) rent calculation appears to be lower than it should. Therefore, the Division analyzed the rent calculator used in the previous rate methodology and agreed the rent calculation was too low. The HUD FMR rents are based on estimates of 40th percentile gross rents for standard quality units within a metropolitan area or nonmetropolitan county. The Division has decided to move to a 60% FMR to ensure the quality of living arrangements for the individuals they serve. The Division will be updating the information bulletins for both CILA models and will be providing a tool for calculating the appropriate rent amount.
Warmly,
Allison V. Stark
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Director, Division of Developmental Disabilities
Illinois Department of Human Services
600 East Ash-Building 400, Springfield, IL 62703
Tel: (217) 782 -6803
The information contained herein should not be considered a substitute for the appropriate official statutes, rules, regulations, or the advice of legal counsel.
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