Leveraging our Passion, Talent, and Experience
to lead Families to the Answers, Help, and Hope they need!
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Open enrollment begins in October. Changing your MCO during Open Enrollment is a benefit, and for some, necessary as Health Plans make changes to coverage and available providers.
However, for Consumer-Directed Services, changing your MCO could have a large impact.
Tune in Wednesday, September 29th at noon via facebook as Moms In Motion/At Home Your Way discuss the ins and outs of open enrollment.
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Do you want to keep the Virtual Visit option with your Service Facilitator?
So do we!
We want to keep you, us and Virginia SAFE.
The Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) is telling Moms In Motion that without the approval of the Governor and other legislative bodies, in the cases where families do not want us to come see them in person, we will not be allowed to continue to use a video method to conduct our visit. In order to respect the decision of those families that do not want us to visit in-person, Moms In Motion has decided that we will continue with virtual visits as an option through September, and at the same time, we will continue to advocate for DMAS to reverse this decision.
We are concerned for your health, especially with the emergence of the Delta variant of COVID and the inherent risk for our families. Help us to advocate for being able to continue our visits using Telehealth (video methods), as we have been for the past 17 months. We would like this option to continue to be allowed until 6 months after the end of the Federal Public Health Emergency, just like the Appendix K flexibilities that allow parents of minor children and spouses to be attendants.
Please take a few minutes and send letters, send e-mails, & call your representatives. See sample letter below. (We've done the hard stuff for you :) )
- Governor
- Governor Ralph Northam, P.O. Box 1475, Richmond, VA 23218
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Send email via website: HERE
- Call: 804-786-2211
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Senators and House Representatives look up: HERE
- Medicaid
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Email: HERE
- Call:(804) 786-7933
- Mail: 600 East Broad Street, Ste 1300, Richmond, VA 23219
- Long-Term Care Ombudsman
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Use Find Your Ombudsman: HERE
- Encourage others to contact their legislators as well.
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To: All Virginia Legislators, Gov. Ralph Northam, Press Contacts
Re: Keep People with Disabilities in Virginia SAFE! Telehealth Delivery Method for Services Facilitation Visits
Dear Legislator,
I receive Personal Care/Respite/ and/or Companion Care through the Consumer Directed (CD) model of the CCC+/DD Virginia Home and Community Based Waiver. My Service Facilitator meets with me regularly to assist me to administer and troubleshoot challenges with the program (getting my attendants paid, finding attendants, hiring attendants, managing attendants, managing the changing program policies (sick pay, overtime, hazard pay, EVV, etc.)), ensuring my authorizations meet my needs, ensuring my health and safety through their mandated reporter role, and other general program supports.
What
The flexibility to conduct home visits via Telehealth is being extended for some health care services, but not Services Facilitation. It is imperative that Service Facilitators be able to continue to see me using a video Telehealth method in order to keep me safe while the killer COVID virus and Delta Variant are growing exponentially in Virginia.
History of COVID in Relation to Service Facilitation
Since the beginning of the COVID related Federal and State Public Health Emergencies (PHE) in March 2020, many services were allowed the flexibility to be provided via Telehealth. Through Telehealth visits, our Service Facilitator can visually observe us and confirm that our services are meeting our needs, and that we were not at risk of nursing facility placement as a result.
In May, 2021, DMAS directed Service Facilitators to begin to try to see clients in person, at their homes. At that time, if the families refused this, the Service Facilitators were able to continue to use video Telehealth methods to see us. As per DMAS, as of July 1, when the state PHE ended, so too did the Telehealth flexibility for Service Facilitation. DMAS gave a grace period until Aug. 29, 2021 to make that transition happen.
Over these last two months, my Service Facilitator has asked if I would feel comfortable with a home visit or refuse a home visit and have a telehealth visit instead. I/My loved one have/has a disability or physical health issue that puts me/them at elevated and extreme risk from this virus. I understand that if a Service Facilitator comes to my home, they will likely be seeing 5-10 families in a day, that’s 25-50 families in a week, and therefore, may be carrying the virus from home to home unknowingly. I am not comfortable with this and my legislators should not be either.
Why it’s so important for Telehealth to be Extended
Serving individuals on the CCC+ and DD Waivers is so much more than a yearly authorization. 90% of families prefer to have their visits be virtual, using a video method. If that goes away, then no Service Facilitation provider in the state will be able to provide the support these families need under Consumer-Direction. In effect, anyone who has chosen Consumer-Directed Services will lose their Service Facilitation. As a result, the refusal to allow Telehealth visits to continue will have effectively removed Consumer Direction as a choice for Virginians with disabilities who want it.
American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) recently sent a letter to Governor Northam asking why Telehealth was afforded to certain health care entities for visits and yet others were required to go face to face. AARP pointed out that it seems Virginia has certain policies and procedures that protect some entities and not others. Yet, a service that serves the disabled, the most vulnerable to COVID, is exclusively being held to higher restrictions.
There has to be a change in the allowance of flexibility for Telehealth for Service Facilitation right now! It is imperative that Service Facilitation be included on the list of Telehealth methods of delivery of services. I do not feel safe with having unnecessary visitors to my home now or until COVID, Delta and future unknown variants are adequately suppressed and shown to be suppressed for a consecutive period of time. Six months after the end of the Federal PHE seems reasonable.
Also, Governor Northam himself has said; “Workers should not have to sacrifice their health and safety to earn a living, especially during an ongoing global pandemic... Virginia has stepped up to protect workers from COVID-19... Keeping Virginians safe at work is not only a critical part of stopping the spread of this virus, it’s key to our economic recovery and it’s the right thing to do.”
In Closing, Call to Action
DMAS’s solution to NOT allow Services Facilitators to conduct Telehealth visits is removing my choice to keep me and my family safe from COVID. Forcing me to have someone come to my home who may be unknowingly carrying the virus from home to home puts me or my loved one, and roughly 22,000 other constituents receiving Waiver Services in the Commonwealth of Virginia, at greater risk of nursing facility or hospital placement.
What do I need from you? Keep me safe in my home by allowing Telehealth for Service Facilitation. Please allow/encourage DMAS to keep the video Telehealth flexibility for Services Facilitation visits in place at least until other flexibilities tied to the Federal PHE end, the Appendix K flexibilities. Add Service Facilitation to the list of services that can use Telehealth. The Federal PHE is currently slated to end Oct. 22, 2021, and DMAS has the authority from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to extend those flexibilities six months past the end of the Federal PHE, putting the end date of the Appendix K flexibilities at April 22, 2022.
Thank you for your consideration and assistance
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Lastly, we invite you to join hundreds of others and sign the petition to keep virtual visits permanent. We are stronger together! |
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The Moms In Motion/At Home Your Way team wear purple in support of and to bring awareness to Spinal Muscular Atrophy during an August company meeting. |
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Do you want to:
- Have a positive impact on people's lives?
- See the joy in someone's face when you tell them about a little resource that will make a big difference in their lives?
- Have the chance to help people in your community on a day-to-day basis?
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Moms In Motion / At Home Your Way
is looking for talented individuals to join our team!
Service Facilitators support eligible individuals and their families in properly using consumer-directed services so they can live in their home with assisted supports. We do this by routinely visiting people in their homes (your home will be your base office). Moms In Motion / At Home Your Way has been a leader in this industry for over nine years. We are a value added provider. We help families to administer their consumer-directed services & link them to additional services.
If you can answer "Yes" to these questions we want you to Join our Team of ACES:
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Do I enjoy ADVOCATING?
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Am I COMPASSIONATE?
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Do I strive for EXCELLENCE in everything I do?
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Do I care about person-centered SERVICE?
Skills and Qualifications include:
- Associate's Degree or greater in Human Services or related field.
- Ability to work independently.
- Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
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To ensure your Moms In Motion / At Home Your Way application is processed correctly, please use the the links on our Job Opportunities page to apply for the Service Facilitator position in or around your home area.
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Medicaid Application for Children |
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Click the image below to visit the "Applying for Medicaid" section of our website for details on waivers and a comprehensive guide on how to complete the children's medicaid application. |
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Medicaid Application for Adults |
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Click the image below to visit the "Applying for Medicaid" section of our website for details on waivers and a comprehensive guide on how to complete the adult medicaid application. |
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Tell Your Services Facilitator
Changes to your MCO, Health Insurance Premium Payment (HIPP) Program Enrollment, or Medicaid eligibility affects your authorization for Personal Care, Respite, and Companion hours. Moms In Motion needs to know where to send authorization requests to. Your Service Facilitator is often one of the last to know about these types of changes. You must have an authorization in place with the appropriate entity and fiscal agent in order for your attendant to work and get paid. Don't risk a lapse in services.
Helpful links:
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If you receive a balance notice or Explanation of Benefits (EOB) statement:
Moms In Motion's services are covered by DMAS/MCO and considered paid-in-full. No balance billing is permitted by any entity.
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Who to Contact if You Move
- Department of Social Services in your current locality advising them of the move
- Your Service(s) Facilitator
- Your MCO
- Your current Community Services Board
- Advise those at HIPP
- All Doctors offices & Pharmacies
- Social Security Administration if you are receiving benefits like SSI (must be done in person)
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SIGN UP FOR USPS INFORMED DELIVERY here
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Developmental Disability Waivers
The State of Virginia currently offers three Developmental Disability (DD) waivers:
- Building Independence (BI)
- Community Living (CL)
- Family and Individual Supports (FIS)
Moms In Motion is able to facilitate services of Companion (when applicable), Personal Care & Respite under the CL & FIS Waivers.
To learn more about the DD Waivers & the services offered through them, please visit our website for a comprehensive overview.
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MONTHLY DISCUSSION WITH YOUR
SERVICE FACILITATOR
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1. New for this period:
Open enrollment begins in October. Changing your MCO during Open Enrollment is a benefit, and for some, necessary as Health Plans make changes to coverage & available providers.
However, for Consumer-Directed Services, changing your MCO could have a large impact. Communicating in advance with your Service Facilitator your intent to change MCOs is crucial and can minimize the impact.
2. At every visit:
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Your Moms In Motion Service Facilitator will be happy to assist you with anything mentioned in this section. Ask during your next visit! |
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Renewing Your Medicaid
Individuals on the CCC Plus & both of the DD Waivers (CL/FIS) are required to renew their Medicaid annually. A paper renewal application is usually mailed to the primary residence the month before the individual’s renewal month. You will not be required to have another screening.
- When completing the renewal application, only include information regarding the individual requesting Medicaid.
- Write “CCC Plus/Long Term Care” at the top of the form.
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Section 5: Renewal of coverage in future years (optional) – to make it easier to determine your eligibility for help paying for health coverage in future years, you can agree to allow the Medicaid or FAMIS programs or the Marketplace to use income data, including information from tax returns. You will not receive a renewal application. Instead, you will receive notification of the outcome of your renewal. 5 years is the maximum number of years allowed.
You can renew using the following methods:
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By phone:
- Call Cover Virginia at 1-855-242-8282
- TTY: 1-888-221-1590
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By mail or in person: Complete the paper renewal form and return it to your local department of social services.
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Find your local Social Services office here
Failure to complete and turn in your Medicaid renewal application could result in lapse of coverage. Call Cover Virginia at 1-855-242-8282 if you have any questions.
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DURING COVID-19
- Eligibility and Enrollment
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With the announcement of the extension of the federal public health declaration, continuity of coverage must remain until October 22, 2020 for Medicaid members, and no adverse action will be taken on Medicaid cases through that date.
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Do you have an aging loved one on the CCC+ Virginia Medicaid Waiver or one of the 3 DD (CL, FIS, BI) Waivers? Did they suffer a stroke? Do they have chronic diseases such as diabetes or CHF? Are they losing their cognitive abilities through Alzheimer's or dementia?
Did you know that their medical and personal care needs are not the only benefits of their waiver, but that they are also eligible for medically necessary AT, EM & DME? Visit our website for more information!
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Resources for Aging In Place |
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Key Roles in a Medicaid Waiver |
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SERVICE FACILITATOR:
A Consumer-Directed (CD) Services Facilitator (SF) is the DMAS-enrolled provider who is responsible for supporting the individual and family/caregiver by ensuring the development and monitoring of the consumer-directed services plan of care, providing attendant management training, and completing ongoing review activities as required by DMAS for consumer-directed personal care and respite services.
To learn more about the role & responsibilities of the Service Facilitator, please visit our website for an overview.
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EMPLOYER OF RECORD:
The Employer of Record (EOR) is the person who performs the functions of the employer in the consumer-directed model of service delivery. The EOR may be the individual enrolled in the waiver, or a family member, caregiver, or another person.
To learn more about the role & responsibilities of the EOR, please visit our website for an overview.
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FISCAL AGENT(S):
The Fiscal Employer Agent performs payroll activities on behalf of the EOR. This allows the individual to use waiver funds to hire and pay attendants. The Managed Care Organization (MCO) contracts with the Fiscal Employer Agent to ensure that payment to the attendant is accurate based on approved service authorizations and timesheets that have been approved by the EOR. The Fiscal Employer Agent keeps payment records and follows all tax rules on the EOR’s behalf. The EOR employs the attendant(s).
To learn more about Fiscal Agent and their role & responsibility, please visit our website for an overview.
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To learn more about FA Aces$, including how to check your authorizations, click here
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To learn more about FA CDCN, including how to check your authorizations, click here
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To learn more about FA PPL, including how to check your authorizations, click here
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ATTENDANT(S):
The attendant is an individual who provides personal care or supports for the waiver individual. The attendant is the individual hired by the Employer of Record (EOR) who provides CD personal assistance, respite services, or companion services to the individual. The attendant provides services that are authorized by DMAS or its designated service authorization agent. The attendant should have the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the functions and duties necessary to support the individual who is receiving services.
To learn more about the role and how to become an Attendant, please visit our website for an overview.
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Moms In Motion is fully aware of how important empowerment is for our clients and their families.
To learn of many numerous resources and tools readily accessible to you, please visit our webpages:
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INFORMATIONAL TOOLS
ListServs
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Join Yahoo ListServ VaWaivers to discuss & share news about Va Medicaid Waivers.
Finding a CD Attendant(s)
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Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime is $5.99 a month for qualifying customers with an EBT or Medicaid card.
Cancel anytime.
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We're expanding our social reach!
Be sure to connect with us now on Instagram and LinkedIn!
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Moms In Motion/At Home Your Way is a Virginia Medicaid Service Facilitation provider for those approved for the CCC+ and DD Waivers (CL/FIS). |
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