TASH, along with a coalition of 10 other disability and aging organizations advocating for quality implementation of the Settings Rule, write letter to the Center for Medicare & Medicaid. The letter discusses the Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) settings regulations and trends among state transition planning. It also outlines several issue areas that are key to a successful state transition plan, including examples from specific states.
As we shared with you, our coalition of disability and aging organizations has reviewed many state transition plans. Our goal is to ensure that all HCBS settings will meet or surpass the minimum requirements set forth in the recently effective regulations. Over the last several months, we have worked directly with numerous state advocates to assist them in assessing and commenting on their states’ draft transition plans. Through this collaboration, as well as our review of many of the final statewide transition plans recently submitted to CMS, we have identified a number of trends – some positive and some concerning – on how states propose to implement the new settings requirements and prepare for the coming changes.