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$3 million have been appropriated from the General Assembly to the Department of Disabilities and Special Needs (DDSN), to develop a Medicaid pilot project to treat children who have been diagnosed by eight years of age with a pervasive developmental disorder. "Pervasive developmental disorder" is defined as a neurological condition, including autistic disorder and Asperger's syndrome. The pilot project will target the youngest ages feasible for effective treatment.  Treatment for each individual child cannot exceed three years and reimbursement for each individual child may not exceed $50,000 per year. Children participating in the pilot project will be selected based upon an application system developed in compliance with the Medicaid wavier.  DDSN and the Department of Health and Human Services are in the process of developing the Medicaid wavier, which will be submitted to the Centers for Medicare, and Medicaid (CMS) for approval in October.  It is anticipated that guidelines, application and implementation of the wavier will begin in January 2007.  The funding for this project was the result of an earlier proposal, Ryan's Law, which called for insurance companies to pay for therapies for children with pervasive developmental disorders. 

 

DDSN received a significant increase in funding in the FY 2006 –2007 budget.

The Appropriation Bill authorizes $1,968,000 to maintain current services in two ways.  First, $620,000 to meet the new state match requirement for Medicaid and second $1,348,000 to address the required growth in the Babynet program which serves children birth to age 3. The bill also appropriates $9.2 million for new community residential beds to help address the Waiting List.  This amount would fund 500 new beds across all three disability divisions for individuals who need out-of-home placements.  Third, $6 million is appropriated for new individual and family support services (Crisis Prevention).  This amount would fund services for an additional 1500 individuals across all three disability divisions who require supports to stay in their own home or with family.

Fourth, the budget bill funds $2,400,000 to increase provider payment rates.  This appropriation would give the department sufficient funding for the providers to cover the actual cost of care. 

 

To address ongoing concerns about the quality of investigations of abuse, neglect and exploitation, legislation to establish a special investigative unit within SLED (State Law Enforcement Department) for the investigation of abuse/neglect/exploitation of individuals in a DD or MH institution was passed.  SLED will have a statewide, toll-free24 hour hotline number to permit reports.