The waiver care program in Little Rock was developed to ensure people are not forced to overpay or accept services that do not meet their particular needs. The DDS provides many local services for people with disabilities who have been approved for waiver care services in Little Rock. The DDS also develops policies, manages, and provides administrative support for the Medicaid Home and Community Based Waiver.
A Medicaid waiver allows states to individually test and develop ways to deliver their own Medicaid-funded programs. These programs differ from standard federal programs from state-to-state. They also have unique eligibility requirements and are designed for specific groups such as the elderly, the blind, or the intellectually or developmentally disabled.
In Arkansas, this has become the PASSE Model of Managed Care.
Individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities can succeed and thrive when they are given the appropriate resources and personalized care. A specialized support system can provide confidence and independence. The Medicaid waiver system offers home and community-based services (HCBS) to these individuals in Arkansas. It covers services such as:
All of these services are provided through DDS licensed community providers like Integrity Inc.
Provider-led Arkansas Shared Savings Entity, or PASSE, is an all-in-one healthcare plan for those individuals in high-spend Medicaid populations. This model was created to manage services for people with behavioral disorders and/or significant intellectual or developmental disabilities who are considered Medicaid beneficiaries.
PASSE was designed to be a total healthcare solution for these Medicaid beneficiaries. The purpose of PASSE is to improve health services for those individuals by linking providers with special care community-based services.
PASSE does not change your eligibility for Medicaid — it only changes the way Medicaid pays for your services. Each PASSE acts as a sort of “insurance group” providers can join to be considered “in-network.”
You should treat your PASSE card like an insurance card. You will show it to all doctors, pharmacists, and care providers when you visit them. PASSE will pay for all the services you receive including but not limited to:
Your services will be reimbursed and managed by PASSE if:
In order to be eligible for the PASSE system, you must complete an assessment. This assessment determines the level of care you qualify for, so you should be very thorough and thoughtful when filling it out.
If the results of the assessment do not reflect the true abilities and needs of the person receiving care, the assessment can be appealed, but the window in which you may do so is very short.
The goal of the PASSE system is to monitor your healthcare needs, keep you healthy, and help you achieve your goals.
PASSEs will be continuously building statewide networks and finalizing contracts. Network lists will be updated on their websites. This provides up-to-date information about who you can see for care services.
Care Coordinator
Care Coordinators are employed by PASSE to assist you and your family with all of your healthcare needs. They contact you monthly and meet with you in person quarterly. These Care Coordinators are provided as a part of the PASSE package and visits are not individually billed.
Person-Centered Service Plan
Each provider has an individual plan for your care. All of these plans will come together in a Person-Centered Service Plan or a PCSP. Having everything located in one place with one plan can help you meet your health needs and achieve your goals more easily and efficiently.
Home and community-based services (HCBS) allow Medicaid beneficiaries to use services and get assistance in their own homes or communities — a much more desirable alternative to living in an institution or another isolated environment. HCBS can add greatly to an individual’s quality of life by allowing them to feel more autonomous and interact with their loved ones on a more regular basis.
Home and community-based services are also much cheaper than housing a person with disabilities in a Human Development Center. Waiver care services provided within the community and at home cost about $43,000 annually. Living full time in a care facility can cost almost double that amount.
If you have questions about waiver care services in Little Rock or how to apply for the PASSE system, reach out to Integrity Inc and call (501)406-0442 today. We are here to help develop a personalized care plan for you or your loved one that adds dignity and autonomy to your everyday life.
