News & Information > News Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
December 30, 2011
                    CONTACT:
Melanie Mowry Etters
Communications Director
(850) 488-4257

New Year, New Changes

TALLAHASSEE —Two changes will go into effect on January 1 for customers and providers of the Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD). The first change is having customers with federal cash benefits help pay for some of their services. This is called residential fee collection. The second change is creating standardized rates for people receiving Intense Behavioral (IB) Residential Habilitation.

Residential fee collection will require APD customers with federal benefits to help pay for their services that they receive in a group home, foster care facility, residential habilitation center, or comprehensive transitional education program. The individuals will still retain their monthly personal needs allowance before turning over their excess cash benefits to help pay for some of their services.

Historically, IB rates have been negotiated for each IB residence. Creating uniform rates allows the agency to reduce more than 100 different rates to six. The new reimbursement rates are driven by the level of need of individuals rather than negotiated rates.

The new IB rates are expected to reduce costs by about $1.5 million in the first year. Savings may be generated in following years as customers progress and need less expensive services.

The Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Medicaid waiver provides supports to about 30,000 Floridians with developmental disabilities so they may live and participate in their local community. Currently, the HCBS Medicaid waiver pays all costs for care for those enrolled in the program, even for those with regular income.

APD annually serves more than 50,000 Floridians with developmental disabilities of autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, intellectual disabilities, spina bifida, and Prader-Willi syndrome.

For more information on the agency, call 1-866-APD-CARES or visit APDcares.org.