Under IC 4-22-2-24, notice is hereby given that on May 17, 2007, at 2:00 p.m., at the Indiana Government Center-South, 402 West Washington Street, Conference Center Room 5, Indianapolis, Indiana, the Office of the Secretary of Family and Social Services will hold a public hearing on proposed rule amendments concerning Medicaid reimbursement regulations.

In accordance with public notice requirements established at 42 CFR 447.205, Section 1902(a)(13)(A) of the Social Security Act, and IC 4-22-2-24(d), the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration, Office of Medicaid Policy and Planning (OMPP) publishes this notice of proposed changes to methods and standards governing reimbursement methodology for home health care services.

The OMPP proposes to revise the Medicaid reimbursement methodology for nonstate owned intermediate care facilities for the mentally retarded (ICFs/MR) and community residential facilities for the developmentally disabled (CRFs/DD) to permit reimbursement for residences for adults with extensive support needs.

The Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) Office of Medicaid Policy and Planning (OMPP) finds that adding this new ESNR licensure level of care is necessary, in part because of the planned closure of the Ft. Wayne State Developmental Center (FWSDC), which is planned for July 1, 2007. For some of the clients currently at FWSDC, there are no other appropriate placements, because they need an extensive level of support services not otherwise available in current group home settings.

The addition to the ICFs/MR rate methodology of the new ESNR licensure level is expected to result in an approximate $28,106,460 positive fiscal impact for the state (of which $10,509,005 is state funding). The fiscal impact was arrived at by assuming that all projected ESNR residents are current residents of FWSDC. The estimated rate at FWSDC is $1,787.41 per person per day, plus $4.75 per person per day of Medicaid State Plan services. The projected ESNR group home rate is estimated to be $486.32 per person per day, plus $22.45 per person per day of Medicaid State Plan Services. This assumption is appropriate because the development of the ESNR homes was an alternative to building another institution, and the money that would have been spent on another institution is being used for the ESNR homes.

Copies of the proposed rule and this notice are now available and may be inspected by contacting the Director of the local county Division of Family Resources office, except in Marion County, where public inspection may be made at 402 West Washington Street, Room W382, Indianapolis, Indiana.

If an accommodation is required to allow an individual with a disability to participate in any of these meetings (public meetings), please contact Joy Heim at (317) 232-1139 at least 48 hours prior to the meeting. Copies of said rule are available for examination between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, in Room W451 (Legal Division), Indiana Government Center-South, 402 West Washington Street, Indianapolis, Indiana.

All parties interested in the rule are invited to attend the hearing and offer public comments. In lieu of attendance at the hearing, written comments may be sent to: IFSSA, Attention: D'Ann Boone, 402 West Washington Street, Room W382, P.O. Box 7083, Indianapolis, IN 46207-7083. Correspondence should be identified in the following manner: "COMMENT RE: LSA Document #06-157 Proposed Changes to ICFs/MR Rate Reimbursement Methodology". All written comments concerning the rule received by OMPP will be available for public inspection at the Office of Medicaid Policy and Planning, 402 West Washington Street, Room W382, Indianapolis, IN 46204.

Copies of these rules are now on file at the Indiana Government Center-South, 402 West Washington Street, W451 and Legislative Services Agency, One North Capitol, Suite 325, Indianapolis, Indiana and are open for public inspection.