DSD eList announcement

Date: Dec. 16, 2015
To: Home and community-based services providers, lead agency staff and all interested stakeholders
From: DHS Disability Services Division rate policy staff
Subject: Disability Waiver Rate System updates
Effective date: Jan. 1, 2016
Purpose of email: Announce Disability Waiver Rate System component value changes
Contact information: DSD.ResponseCenter@state.mn.us

Overview

Beginning Jan. 1, 2016, DHS will implement several required changes in the Disability Waiver Rates System (DWRS). The changes, described below, will be integrated in the Rate Management System (RMS). Implementation will occur on a rolling basis as service authorizations renew or service authorization changes take place.

Each of these changes takes place automatically. Lead agency staff will not have to do anything differently.

Banding changes

Beginning Dec. 18 2015, the RMS will apply a 1 percent rate-stabilization adjustment (known as “banding”) to 2016 service authorizations. RMS applied a 0.5 percent adjustment to banded rates in 2014 and 2015.

Regional variance factor

State law required DHS to study the difference in service costs across the state. As a result, DHS added a regional variance factor to the DWRS frameworks.

For more information, see the DHS disability waiver rate system page.

Day training & habilitation transportation (DT&H)

State law also authorized transportation values for full-day DT&H services. DHS incorporated the values for this framework (as outlined in statute) in the RMS full day DT&H framework. Lead agency staff will continue the current method of transportation data entry.

For more information, see the quick reference guide on consumer transportation for framework services page in the RMS User Manual.