Public comment is now being sought on proposed changes to the Medicaid Home and Community Based Services Waiver.

The Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services is proposing two regulatory changes to the way the waiver program is administered. The public has until August 21 to submit comment on the issue.

The waiver is the major vehicle by which people with disabilities receive funding for support services to live within the community. The proposed changes would impact the way people are identified as qualifying for waiver services and where they are allowed to live while receiving waiver money.

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The proposal comes following the launch of President Barack Obama’s initiative, “The Year of Community Living,” earlier Monday in honor of the tenth anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision in the case Olmstead v. LC and EW. In that decision, the court determined that states have an obligation to provide community-based living options for people with disabilities.

Information about the proposed changes and instructions for commenting on them can be found by clicking here.

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