​Arkansas and Kentucky join Tennessee in receiving final approval of their Statewide Transition plans.  The Arkansas final approval letter may be found here.  Kentucky, which was one of the first states to receive initial approval, also received its final approval letter in June and can be found here.  Both letters note that final approval is not intended to “convey approval of any settings submitted to CMS for heightened scrutiny review, but does convey approval of the state’s process for addressing that issue. CMS will opine on any requests for heightened scrutiny at the time they are submitted.”  ACCSES will continue monitoring the state transition planning process and will provide input to CMS as appropriate.

The links to June 2017 employment data for Indiana counties, cities and MSA’s are listed below:

Employment Report (Local Area Unemployment Statistics) 
Labor Force Estimates for U.S., Indiana, MSAs, Counties, Cities 
Ranking of Indiana Counties by Unemployment Rate 
Indiana County Map with Unemployment Rates

The Indiana Division of Aging sent out a request for organizations to complete the Indiana Long-Term Care Transformation Stakeholder Survey.
 
Over the last two years, Indiana’s Division of Aging worked closely with key stakeholders to examine challenges and potential ways to modernize home and community-based services (HCBS) in Indiana. House Bill 1493 calls for the development of a report articulating broad proposals for long-term care transformation guided by stakeholder engagement. This survey seeks your input to better understand Hoosiers’ long-term care preferences and experiences with services received in their homes and communities in the State of Indiana. The survey will be posted until August 11, 2017, and is available by clicking here.

If you have questions about the purpose of the survey or how to respond, please email Indiana-HCBS@Lewin.com or call 703-269-5735.

​The Indiana Health Coverage Programs (IHCP) posted the following important information to the provider website at indianamedicaid.com on July 18, 2017 (unless alternate date is noted). 

Bulletins and Banner Pages 
BR201729 
    IHCP makes pharmacy benefit information readily accessible on provider website 
    Income limits now calculating correctly for presumptive eligibility applications

Provider Reference Modules 
Evaluation and Management Services 
    Reorganized text for clarity 
    Added Introduction section 
    Added Portal billing as an option to claim submission method 
    Added the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT)/HealthWatch Services section 
    Updated the Consultations section

Check out these resources to stay up-to-date with the most recent changes at the IHCP. 

In March 2016, Governor Pence signed legislation allowing Indiana to create the ABLE (Achieving a Better Life Experience) savings account for individuals with disabilities. This account, similar to a College Choice 529 Savings account, will allow individuals to save for a variety of expenses without putting other benefits at risk. Last week, the Treasurer of State’s Office has announced that ABLE will soon be open for enrollment in Indiana.

To kick off the launch of this new program, there will be a celebration on Thursday, July 27 at 8:15 AM at the Indiana State House North Atrium (200 W. Washington St, Indianapolis). You are invited to attend and learn about the accounts and how they can benefit families who want to contribute to the care of their loved ones. For those who are unable to attend, additional events are currently being planned for Evansville, South Bend, Terre Haute, and Fort Wayne. Information on those events is forthcoming.

Please see the letter for more details. We hope that you are able to attend!