Arkansas Administrative Code › Agency 016 - DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES › Division 26 - Division of Aging, Adult and Behavioral Health Services › Rule 016.26.21-002 - Division of Aging, Adult, and Behavioral Health Services (DAABHS) Manual Extension

Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 6, June, 2024
COVID-19 Response Manual
January 1, 2022
DAABHS COVID-19 RESPONSE
200.000
OVERVIEW
201.000
Authority
The following rules are duly adopted and promulgated by the
				Division of Aging, Adult, and Behavioral Health Services (DAABHS) Arkansas
				Department of Human Services (DHS) under the authority of Arkansas Code
				Annotated §§
									20-76-201,
				20-77-107,
				25-10-129,
				and
				25-10-126.
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (
				Public Law
				116-127 - March 18, 2020)
Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act
				(Public Law No. 116-136 - March 27, 2020)
202.000
Purpose
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, DHS identified programs
				and services that required additional flexibility or changes to adapt to
				ensuring the health and safety of our clients. This manual details them so that
				DHS may render uninterrupted assistance and services to our clients.
203.000
Appeals
Appeal requests for the COVID-19 response policies must adhere
				to the policy set forth in the Medicaid Provider Manual Section 160.000
				Administrative Reconsideration and Appeals which can be accessed at
https://medicaid.mmis.arkansas.gov/Provider/Docs/all.aspx
.
204.000
Severability
Each section of this manual is severable from all others. If
				any section of this manual is held to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable,
				such determination shall not affect the validity of other sections in this
				manual and all such other sections shall remain in full force and effect. In
				such an event, all other sections shall be construed and enforced as if this
				section had not been included therein.
210.000
AGING AND
			 ADULT
211.000
Extension of Person-Centered Service Plans-ARChoices, Living Choices and
			 PACE
The Person-Centered Service Plan (PCSP) serves to document the
				level of service need and is the official plan of care for those beneficiaries
				who have been found medically eligible for services.
Agency nurses should be able to extend PCSPs and authorizations
				based on review of current medical/functional needs. DAABHS nurses will
				complete an evaluation of the beneficiary's current needs and will extend the
				dates for qualifying beneficiaries, ensuring continued eligibility for
				services. PCSPs are living documents and are to be updated as goals and needs
				are met. During the extension period, the PCSP will continue to be updated to
				the level of current service needs based on continued phone contact with
				beneficiary.
The following rule provisions are suspended until the
				termination of the federal public health emergency, including any extensions,
				or December 31, 2022, whichever occurs first.
ARChoices: 212.312 which requires that a PCSP expiration date
				be 365 days from the date of the DHS RN's signature of the AAS-9503, the
				ARChoices PCSP.
Living Choices: 211.150 The Independent Assessment Contractor
				RN performs an assessment periodically (at least annually), and the Division of
				County Operations re-determines level of care annually. The results of the
				level of care determination and the re-evaluation are documented on form
				DHS-704.
212.200 Each
			 Living Choices beneficiary will be evaluated at least annually by a DHS RN. The
			 DHS RN evaluates the resident to determine whether a nursing home intermediate
			 level of care is still appropriate and whether the plan of care should continue
			 unchanged or be revised.
PACE: 212.200 involving involuntary dismissal of a Program of
				All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) patient.
215.200  (B) and (C) require semi-annual and
			 annual evaluations by providers.
These services will be available until the termination of the
				federal public health emergency, including any extensions, or December 31,
				2022, whichever occurs first.
212.000
ARChoices, Living Choices and
			 PACE Manual-Suspension of Timelines for Evaluation
Families First Corona Virus Response Act requires states to
				maintain an individual eligibility for amount, duration, and scope of benefits
				during the public health emergency ARChoices, Living Choices and PACE clients
				who do not receive an evaluation within 365 days of their existing eligibility
				date would be transitioned to traditional Medicaid or lose access to care under
				these programs.
This rule is suspended to allow members who do not receive a
				timely evaluation to remain eligible for ARChoices, Living Choices and
				PACE.
ARChoices 212.312 which requires functional eligibility be
				determined prior to the expiration of financial and functional
				eligibility
Living Choices 211.150 which requires that an evaluation is
				completed annually by DHS RN to help inform the determination of functional
				eligibility
PACE 212.200 which refers to involuntary dismissal of a PACE
				patient.
These services will be available until the termination of the
				federal public health emergency, including any extensions, or December 21,
				2022, whichever occurs first.
213.000
Living Choices Assisted Living
			 Facilities Reimbursement Rate
The rate reduction scheduled to occur January 1, 2021 will be
				suspended until the termination of the federal public health emergency,
				including any extensions, or until the Centers for Medicaid & Medicare
				Services (CMS) approves the implementation of the rate in Arkansas' Living
				Choices Waiver Renewal, whichever occurs first. The result of the suspension or
				approval by CMS is an additional cost to the Medicaid program of $4.36 per
				client per day.