(Provided by Autism-society.org)
Changes to the Social Security Act become effective October 1
On August 6, the Center for Medicaid, CHIP and Survey & Certification released a letter in their series of guidance on implementation of the Affordable Care Act of 2010. This letter provides information about several changes to Section 1915(i) of the Social Security Act as a result of the passage of the Affordable Care Act. These changes, which become effective October 1, include revised and new options for offering home and community-based services (HCBS) through the Medicaid State Plan. Among other things, Section 1915(i) removes the requirement that individuals meet an institutional level of care in order to qualify for HCBS through Medicaid. Section 1915(i) provides states an opportunity to offer services and supports before individuals need institutional care, and also provides a mechanism to provide State Plan HCBS to individuals with mental health and substance use disorders.  
In order to promote state utilization of 1915(i), the Affordable Care Act includes changes that enable states to target HCBS to particular groups of people, to make HCBS accessible to more individuals, and to ensure that individuals receive high-quality care. Click here to read the letter.