Don't Miss This Critical Opportunity
to Improve Medicaid Home and Community Based
Services (HCBS) Waivers
» Comments due to CMS on Friday, August 21 «

Background
On June 23, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) on the HCBS waiver program.

CMS issued this ANPRM to solicit advance public comments on the merits of providing states the option to combine or eliminate the existing three permitted waiver targeting groups, and on the most effective means to define home and community. See the 4-page ANPRM at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-14559.pdf

The Arc and UCP have jointly issued comments which we submitted to CMS today. We strongly encourage chapters and affiliates to submit comments based on our own recommendations.

In general, The Arc and UCP support the direction of the proposed modifications to the HCBS waiver programs. However, we have some concerns about potential unintended consequences as well as suggested modifications to the proposals and/or to the process. As a result, we strongly support CMS' intent of holding a stakeholders' conference prior to any further rulemaking process regarding the characteristics of HCBS services.

Read our full (6 pages) set of comments at:
http://www.ucp.org/uploads/09Aug17_Reg_Comments.pdf

If you have any questions about The Arc and UCP's comments, please contact Marty Ford at 202-783-2229.

Take Action
Please submit comments to CMS. You should feel free to add any other ideas, suggestions, or concerns that may apply to your state.

Important Instructions for filing comments

• Comments must be received by August 21^st at 5:00 PM EDT
• Please refer to file code CMS-2296-ANPRM.
• You may submit comments in one of four ways (please choose only one of the ways listed):

1. Electronically. Follow this link to submit your comments. All you need to do is enter your contact information and either paste comments into the text box or upload your document.
2. Regular mail. You may mail written comments to the following address only:
• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
  Department of Health and Human Services
  Attention: CMS-2296-ANPRM
  P.O. Box 8016
  Baltimore, MD 21244-1850
3. Express or overnight mail. You may send written comments to the following address only:
• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
  Department of Health and Human Services
  Attention: CMS-2296-ANPRM Mail Stop C4-26-05
  7500 Security Boulevard
  Baltimore, MD 21244-1850
4. By hand or courier. If you prefer, you may deliver (by hand or courier) your written comments before the close of the comment period to either of the following addresses:
• For delivery in Washington, DC
  Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
  Department of Health and Human Services
  Room 445-G, Hubert H. Humphrey Building
  200 Independence Avenue, SW.
  Washington, DC 20201
• For delivery in Baltimore, MD
  Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
  Department of Health and Human Services
  7500 Security Boulevard
  Baltimore, MD 21244-1850
• If you intend to deliver your comments to the Baltimore address, please call telephone number (410) 786-7195 in advance to schedule your arrival

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