Renewal of Public Health Emergency Determination

On October 13, 2022, Secretary Xavier Becerra, Secretary of Health and Human Services, renewed the PHE for COVID-19. The renewal is for 90 days, through January 11, 2023. The renewal states:

"As a result of the continued consequences of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic, on this date and after consultation with public health officials as necessary, I, Xavier Becerra, Secretary of Health and Human Services, pursuant to the authority vested in me under section 319 of the Public Health Service Act, do hereby renew, effective October 13, 2022, the January 31, 2020, determination by former Secretary Alex M. Azar II, that he previously renewed on April 21, 2020, July 23, 2020, October 2, 2020, and January 7, 2021, and that I renewed on April 15, 2021, July 19, 2021, October 15, 2021, January 14, 2022, April 12, 2022, and July 15, 2022, that a public health emergency exists and has existed since January 27, 2020, nationwide."

CDC Expands Recommendations for Use of Bivalent COVID-19 Booster

Last Wednesday, the CDC expanded recommendations for the use of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 bivalent vaccine for ages 5 through 11 years old and Moderna COVID-19 bivalent vaccine for ages 6 through 17 years old. The “updated boosters” vaccines target multiple strains of COVID-19—the original strain of the virus and 2 of the Omicron variants (BA.4 and BA.5).

The updated boost doses for this age group are already available for those seeking Moderna and arriving this week for Pfizer. Various providers will be offering the bivalent boost dose for this age group including local pharmacies, doctor’s offices and health departments.
 
Individuals may choose to receive either the Moderna or Pfizer bivalent booster, regardless of which primary series vaccine or original booster dose they received. The current monovalent vaccine is no longer available for those 5 and older for use as a booster but remains available to complete the primary series.

Those who are eligible to receive a bivalent booster dose right now include:

• Moderna Booster: Individuals 6 years of age and older if it has been at least 2 months since they completed their primary vaccination series or received a booster dose.

• Pfizer-BioNTech: Individuals 5 years of age and older if it has been at least 2 months since they completed their primary vaccination series or received a booster dose.

Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Webpage

HCBS Waivers provide opportunities for Medicaid beneficiaries to receive select long-term care services in their own home or community rather than institutions or other isolated settings. These programs serve a variety of targeted populations, such as people with intellectual or developmental disabilities, physical disabilities, and/or mental illnesses. Colorado offers a wide array of waiver programs with the goal of serving Coloradans in their preferred location. Offering robust waiver options supports the United States Supreme Court Olmstead v. L.C. decision which says that unjustified segregation of persons with disabilities constitutes discrimination in violation of title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

What is an HCBC Waiver?

An HCBS waiver program allows the state to waive some Medicaid requirements to meet the needs of individual populations. For example, a waiver program may help a member access in-home personal care, assist the member with making meals, or provide rides to doctor appointments or community activities. To access a waiver, a member must meet a level-of-care requirement unique to the waiver program for which they are applying. HCBS waivers provide a person with individualized care starting with the person-centered support plan. HCBS waivers have unique program rules. An HCBS waiver program may have a waitlist. Currently, Colorado offers ten (10) HCBS waivers.

About the HCBS Waivers webpage

This webpage includes the following areas of information:

• Waiver comparison charts for adult HCBS programs and children’s HCBS programs
• Waiver documents and lifecycle
• Links to individual waiver pages which detail:
• Eligible populations
• Benefits and services provided
• How to make an application
• Other useful links
• Public Comment Opportunities

We hope you'll bookmark the HCBS waivers page and share this resource with your organizations and networks.

Management Redesign (CMRD) Rule Revision Stakeholder Feedback Meeting Series

The Department will update rules and regulations pertaining to HCBS waivers and non-waiver programs to come into alignment with new CMRD statute, policy, and language. Rule updates are required to clean up areas in existing rule and waivers that are repetitious, obsolete, or difficult to follow and understand. CMRD also implements changes to the rule structure. The vision behind the structure change is to make the HCBS rules easier to find, read and understand for all stakeholders. Rules must be in effect no later than Nov. 1, 2023, at which point the first cohort of new Case Management Agencies under CMRD will transition.

The Department wants to hear from stakeholders about each of the rule revision topics listed below to ask questions and receive feedback based on your knowledge and experience with navigating HCBS rules. The goals is to make these rule revisions work for all HCBS stakeholders. The Department will post the section of rule or waiver to be discussed on the CMRD webpage one week prior to each meeting. Stakeholder engagement, feedback, and Department responses will be tracked through listening logs posted on the CMRD webpage.

Note: The 2022 meetings below are posted on the OCL Stakeholder Engagement Calendar. You can copy them from the calendar to your individual calendar from there. The 2023 meetings below will be posted on the OCL calendar before the end of December 2022.

The meeting access information for all the CMRD meetings is the same:

Join via Zoom

Meeting ID: 873 9014 4539, Passcode: 597847

Join via Phone: Toll-free: 1-877 853 5257

Tuesday Oct. 25, 2022 (9-11 a.m. MT)

This is a kick-off meeting with explanation of CMRD and HCBS rule making process, including stakeholder feedback and responses from the Department.

Tuesday Nov. 8, 2022 (9-11 a.m. MT)

HCBS Waiver Amendments and Applications. This meeting provides explanation & review of the 1915b4 waiver application as it relates to CMRD, including stakeholder feedback and responses from the Department.

Tuesday Nov. 22, 2022 (9-11 a.m. MT)

HCBS Waiver Program Eligibility Rules. This meeting provides explanation & review of changes/updates to the HCBS waiver program eligibility rules as it relates to CMRD, including stakeholder feedback and responses from the Department.

Tuesday Dec. 6, 2022 (9-11 a.m. MT) 

HCBS Waiver Program Eligibility Rules, Part Two. This meeting provides explanation and review of changes/updates to the HCBS waiver program eligibility rules as it relates to CMRD, this is part 2 and the conclusion to the HCBS waiver program eligibility rules, including stakeholder feedback and responses from the Department.

Tuesday Dec. 20, 2022 (9-11 a.m. MT)

Case Management Agency Requirements. This meeting provides explanation and review of changes/updates to the Case Management Agency’s requirements rules as it relates to CMRD, including stakeholder feedback and responses from the Department.