The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) approved the Department of Health and Human Services’ request to renew the NC Medicaid 1915(c) Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Community Alternatives Program for Children (CAP/C) waiver for medically fragile and medically complex individuals ages 0 through 20. The HCBS waiver has received an extension approval for another five years including the period from March 1, 2023 through Feb. 29, 2028.
The waiver will offer supports for waiver participants and includes three new approved home and community-based services; Attendant Nurse Care, a service that provides skilled nurse care to a waiver participant who has substantial, complex and continuous skill nursing care needs. This service is offered through consumer-directed services; Community Integration services, for an active waiver participant in jeopardy of losing their community placement due to tenancy-related issues; Coordinated Caregiving, supportive services to a live-in caregiver that assist with the acquisition, retention or improvement of skills related to living in the community. A full list of CAP/C waiver supports is on the CAP/C webpage.
CMS approved the Department’s request to increase the number of CAP/C waiver individuals by 500 each year of the waiver renewal period (i.e., year 1: 4000; year 2 - 4500; year 3 - 5000; year 4 - 5500; and year 5 -6000).
A transition plan will be shared to help families moving from the Appendix K waiver flexibilities enacted during the COVID-19 public health emergency to the new services in the CAP/C waiver beginning May 2023, and will be completed Nov. 11, 2023. The transition plan will be based on the waiver beneficiary’s annual recertification date. Waiver participants who received their annual recertification before May 11, 2023, will be assigned a specific month to begin their transition to the new CAP/C policies and procedures.
A webinar providing an overview of the CAP/C renewal waiver will be held on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, from 1-2:30 p.m. Registration is available here.
Additional information is available on the CAP/C webpage.