Waiver Amendments and Public Comment

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The Bureau of Disabilities Services announced a public comment period for proposed amendments to the Family Supports Waiver (FSW), Community Integration and Habilitation Waiver (CIH), Health and Wellness Waiver (H&W), and the Traumatic Brain Injury Waiver (TBI).  Public comment is an opportunity to share thoughts and concerns around the proposed changes.  Comments can be submitted to ddrswaivernoticecomment@fssa.in.gov, and the public comment period is open until March 18, 2026.  In February, we shared this video that also has links to additional resources on providing public comment, specifically for Medicaid Waivers, also referred to as Home and Community Based Services.  Some of the proposed amendments include (but are not limited to):

  • Rate modification for live-in caregivers providing ATTC (Attendant Care), PAC (Participant Assistance and Care) and RHS (Residential Habilitation and Support).  Part of what makes up the current rate is an allowance for travel to multiple Waiver participant homes.  Since live-in caregivers do not need to travel to multiple homes, BDS is proposing a modification to the overall rate for live-in caregivers to not include that allowance.
  • Home modification clarifications around documentation and lifetime cap (the cap is NOT changing as part of this amendment)
  • Revising the remote supports definition
  • Benefits counseling will be limited to 6 hours/year
  • Revision of waitlist management on FSW and CIH.  
  • Removing the "transition from 100% state funded environment" priority category for the CIH Waiver.  There will also be a removal of the priority category of choosing to leave an ICF/IID facility or SGL (Supervised Group Living).  You may recall there was a recent announcement about transitioning from SGL to the CIH Waiver. Individuals will still need to live in an SGL setting for at least one year prior to applying for the CIH Waiver.  After the year mark, individuals could apply for CIH, but they will have to meet other priority criteria to qualify, just choosing to leave a SGL environment will no longer be enough to qualify for CIH.
  • Implementation of selective case management is also part of this amendment.  

    • Some of the amendments were highlighted at the January DDARS Advisory Council meeting (this starts around minute 41): https://youtu.be/LXtRFJA3RMU?si=51evXuJAcIfyr_X0&t=2468 

    Full draft policies up for public comment can be found at https://www.in.gov/fssa/ddars/bds-policies/ddars-draft-policies-for-public-comment/.  These documents are long (each over 300 pages), so we at INF2F are still reviewing these documents.  FSSA will be hosting three webinars to assist individuals, families and other interested stakeholders understand the process of amending a waiver, how to make public comment, and provide a high-level overview of the key changes currently proposed. These webinars are informational only. 

    Following are the three opportunities and links to join. All times are ET: 

    You can submit questions about the proposed amendments to ddrswaivernoticecomment@fssa.in.gov.   


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