Telehealth Service Delivery in Medicaid Home- and Community-Based Services for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Authors

  • Carli Friedman CQL | The Council on Quality and Leadership, Towson, MD, USA

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5195/ijt.2022.6478

Keywords:

Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS), Medicaid Home-and Community- Based Services (HCBS), People with intellectual and developmental disabilities; Telehealth

Abstract

Medicaid Home- and Community-Based Services (HCBS) 1915(c) waivers are the largest funding mechanism for Long-Term Supports and Services (LTSS) for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in the United States. This study’s aim was to examine telehealth service provision in Medicaid HCBS waivers for people with IDD. We analyzed fiscal year 2021 Medicaid HCBS waivers for people with IDD and emergency Appendix K authorizations (2020-2022) to examine permanent and temporary use of telehealth respectively. The overwhelming majority of waivers (98.1%) temporarily permitted the use of telehealth service delivery for people with IDD. However, only a fraction (27.6%) permanently included the use of telehealth for people with IDD. The most prevalent types of services that permitted telehealth service delivery were: employment, day, and prevocational services; clinical and therapeutic services; and in-home and residential supports. When developing and implementing telehealth, it is important to consider the needs of people with IDD.

  

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Published

2022-05-25

How to Cite

Friedman, C. (2022). Telehealth Service Delivery in Medicaid Home- and Community-Based Services for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. International Journal of Telerehabilitation, 14(1). https://doi.org/10.5195/ijt.2022.6478

Issue

Section

Medicaid HCBS Waivers