GIS 16 MA/11: Closing the Long Term Home Health Care Program (LTHHCP)

The purpose of this General Information System (GIS) message is to inform local departments of social services (LDSS) that the Long Term Home Health Care Program (LTHHCP) will formally close on May 27, 2016.

The approved 2010 LTHHCP waiver application expired on August 31, 2015 and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) granted New York State three (3) ninety (90) day extensions to allow those participants remaining in the program to transition to Managed Care or enroll in other waiver programs. Those extensions allows the LTHHCP to remain operational until May 27, 2016.

As part of the State's Medicaid Redesign Initiative (MRT#90), mandatory enrollment of LTHHCP participants into Mainstream Managed Care (MMC) or Managed Long Term Care (MLTC) began in 2013. It is anticipated that all LTHHCP participants will be transitioned to MMC, MLTC or other waiver programs prior to the formal closing.

To promote continuity of care throughout the transition process, the participant’s LTHHCP provider agency is required to provide the Managed Care Organization (MCO) with each participant’s existing Plan of Care. Each enrollee receiving community based long-term care services and supports continues receiving services under the enrollee’s pre-existing service plan for at least 90 days after enrollment, or until a care assessment has been completed by the MCO, whichever is later. Service providers remain unchanged throughout the transition period.

The Department would like to express our gratitude for the effort and cooperation provided by your staff during the implementation of this MRT initiative.

Questions regarding this GIS Message can be sent to Vicki Rockefeller at (518) 474-5888.