NEWS

MassHealth Accepting Comments on Amendment to Expand Remote and Telehealth Services for Older Adults

Jan 20, 2021

MassHealth is working with the Executive Office of Elder Affairs to amend the Frail Elder (FEW) Home- and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Waiver. CMS typically approves Home and Community Based Services waivers for a period of five years. Changes to an approved waiver must be submitted to CMS in the form of a Request for an Amendment.

The purpose of this amendment is to address certain needs of the population served by this waiver that were identified population- and system-wide during the COVID-19 emergency, and that are anticipated to continue beyond the public health emergency. This amendment adds Assistive Technology for Telehealth Delivery of Waiver Services as a waiver service to cover devices that enable participants to engage in waiver services, expands the scope and renames the existing Cellular Personal Emergency Response System waiver service to cover devices that enable participants to interact and communicate remotely, and expands the scope of the existing Transitional Assistance waiver service to cover assistive technology devices that enable the individual to participate in planning their transition remotely/via telehealth if necessary. The proposed amendment also includes other technical changes to increase flexibility for service planning and case management to occur remotely/via telehealth by removing some references to specific modalities (i.e., “in person”, “telephone”) while maintaining operational integrity and removes transportation from the Companion service definition

To view or download the full waiver amendment application documents, visit MassHealth’s website:

https://www.mass.gov/info-details/home-and-community-based-services-waiver-renewal-and-amendment-applications-public

Hard copies of these documents are available upon request. Please email or send a written request:

·       By e-mail:  HCBSWaivers@Mass.gov 

Or

·       By regular mail:           UMass Waiver Unit

                                                 Attn: FEW Comments

                                                333 South Street
​Shrewsbury, MA 01545

Submit Your Comments

MassHealth invites public comment on the draft FEW amendment before we submit it to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for approval. Comments must be submitted by February 12, 2021. Please see below for how you can submit comments.

·       By e-mail:  HCBSWaivers@Mass.gov 

Or

·       By regular mail:           UMass Waiver Unit

                                                Attn: FEW Comments

                                                333 South Street
Shrewsbury, MA 01545

Or

 

·       Orally at a public listening session to be held remotely on February 3, 2021 at 12:30pm.

 

Online Video (from computer):

https://statema.webex.com/statema/j.php?MTID=ma356dd5928fbd42c4fdb5ad9b8451656

Phone Number: 1-866-692-3580

Meeting number (access code): 178 311 6101

Password: Kfj99p43PPu

 

Comments must be submitted by February 12, 2021.