Page posted: 8/6/09

Page reviewed: 10/6/23

Federally approved BI, CAC, CADI and DD waiver plans

Additional square footage: An increase to an existing private residence’s square footage when it is necessary to build or modify a bathroom to accommodate a wheelchair or scooter. Additional square footage includes:

Private residence: A home owned by the person receiving services or a family member who is not licensed to provide residential services.

To receive environmental accessibility adaptations (EAA) additional square footage through EAA, all the following requirements must be met:

1. The person must be eligible for services through one of the following options:

2. The lead agency must receive DHS approval for the project following instructions in the process and procedure section lower on this page.

3. The person must use a wheelchair or scooter and have one of the following values present on their MnCHOICES assessment:

4. The home is a private residence, as proven by either:

5. The lead agency identifies a qualified EAA home assessment provider, as described in the provider standards and qualifications section on CBSM – EAA – Home modifications.

6. The qualified EAA home assessment provider determines:

Additional square footage projects through EAA cover:

The costs must include all items required to make an accessible bathroom (e.g., walls, shower, sink).

Additional square footage projects through EAA do not cover:

For additional non-covered services, refer to the non-covered services section on CBSM – EAA – Home modifications.

Services under all waiver/AC programs must meet the requirements listed in the services section of CBSM – Waiver and Alternative Care programs overview.

Projects not considered additional square footage

The following projects are not considered additional square footage:

However, the lead agency can authorize these projects under EAA if they meet the criteria on CBSM – EAA – Home modifications.

The $40,000 EAA service limit for BI, CAC, CADI and DD does not apply to approved additional square footage projects. The budget for the additional square footage project must be cost neutral. For more information about cost neutrality, refer to the process to receive approval section lower on this page.

The lead agency must follow instructions in the process and procedure section and use Additional Square Footage Approval Request, DHS-5887 (PDF) to request additional square footage. The lead agency cannot use the Exception Request for EAA that Exceed $40,000 (CAC, CADI, BI and DD waivers), DHS-5504B to request additional square footage.

Process to receive approval

Once the lead agency determines the person is eligible (per the eligibility section on this page), all the following must happen:

1. The lead agency or EAA assessment provider identifies at least two contractors with a current license as a Minnesota residential building contractor (listed on DOLI – License and registration lookup).

2. The lead agency obtains at least two comparison bids for the additional square footage project. In addition to customary components of a bid, these bids must include:

3. The lead agency reviews the EAA assessment and bids to determine the adaptation is both:

4. The lead agency ensures the budget for the additional square footage is cost-neutral. This is done by ensuring the person’s annual waiver and home care costs, including the additional square footage project, do not exceed the person’s projected authorized dollar amount at the bottom of the person’s page in the Waiver Management System (WMS). The page in the WMS is titled “Summary of Projected Authorized Services for this Recipient.”

Example: A person has a projected authorized dollar amount of $28,893 for the next fiscal year. The person’s planned additional square footage project will cost $20,000. This leaves $8,893 for other waiver services during the waiver service year.

5. The lead agency:

The service agreement will suspend, awaiting DHS Service Agreement and Screening Document (SASD) Support Team approval.

6. The lead agency completes Additional Square Footage Approval Request, DHS-5887 (PDF) and submits it to the SASD Support Team by following the instructions on the form.

7. The SASD Support Team:

If the SASD Support Team is unable to approve or needs additional information, they will email the case manager listed on DHS-5887 with further instructions.

Monitoring project to completion

Once the SASD Support Team approves the line item, the lead agency notifies the assessment provider or contractor to begin the project. After the project is completed, the lead agency must collect and maintain:

Assessments

The EAA assessment provider must meet the provider standards and qualifications for an EAA home assessment provider, including the conflict-of-interest policy, on CBSM – EAA – Home modifications.

Installations

The EAA home modification installation provider must meet the provider standards and qualifications for an EAA home modification installation provider on CBSM – EAA – Home modifications.