Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Access Rule Town Hall Announcement

Home and Community-Based Services Access Rule

Town Hall Announcement

In April 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) introduced the Ensuring Access to Medicaid Services Rule (Access Rule). This new rule is designed to make it easier for people to access home and community-based services (HCBS) and to improve the quality of these services. If you receive personal care, homemaker, home health services, or habilitation services such as home support, work support, or community support, this applies to you. The goal is to help people who receive Medicaid HCBS services have better lives and outcomes.

Here in the state of Maine, we are committed to the goals of the Access Rule. We are beginning to plan for how to meet these new requirements. Over the coming months, the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) will ask for your input on our plans.

At this time, DHHS would like to invite you to a town hall session to discuss the new CMS Access Rule and its requirements. We will explain the rule, and we look forward to hearing your thoughts and feedback on the rule. As part of our planning, it’s also important for us to hear from you around what is working well and where we can improve. This town hall is the first of several opportunities for you to give input that will help us create a plan to follow the new rule. Please note, the rule includes elements about other medical services that will be addressed separately by the Office of MaineCare Services (OMS). This session will focus specifically on HCBS programs offered by the Office of Aging and Disability Services (OADS).

Please register using the link below that matches your relationship with Maine’s OADS programs. You will need to register to receive the town hall meeting link. If you cannot attend one of the town halls, you will be able to view recordings of the sessions on the DHHS website and provide written feedback via email.

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Target Audience: Providers, Advocacy Organizations, Advisory Groups, etc. – Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and/or Autism Population

When: Tuesday, January 7^th from 12-1:30pm

Registration Link: https://mainestate.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMkd-GqrzwjHta_xzg0KJfzUE0FJmAA5bEy

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Target Audience: Providers, Advocacy Organizations, Advisory Groups, etc. – Older Adults and Adults with Physical Disabilities Population

When: Thursday, January 9^th from 12-1:30pm

Registration Link: https://mainestate.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEsf-CtqDgqEt2QywnRv8lD_rqWbUae5nIV

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Target Audience: Individuals and Families – Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and/or Autism

When: Monday, January 13^th from 4-5:30pm

Registration Link: https://mainestate.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAuf-irpjIiH9L-7YNwkCUxVJP721fI1sjy

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Target Audience: Individuals and Families – Older Adults and Adults with Physical Disabilities

When: Tuesday, January 14^th from 4-5:30pm

Registration Link: https://mainestate.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMsc-iorT0oHdAlI9tyh-xkx-_5qLdNjL33

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If you require accommodation, such as real-time transcription and captioning (CART), American Sign Language (ASL), or other language interpretation, please contact April Keyes by email: [email protected]