ATLANTA—The Georgia Departments of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) and Community Health (DCH) are pleased to announce that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has approved renewal of the Comprehensive Supports Waiver Program (COMP) through March 31, 2021.  This approval follows collaborative work by the departments over a two-year period involving a complex residential cost study, service rate adjustments, and a one-year needs analysis for all waiver participants served in community residential settings.  New rates for community residential, community living support, and respite services will go into effect March 1, 2017.

The COMP waiver currently serves nearly 8,000 Georgians with intellectual and developmental disabilities.  At the heart of the renewal request is Georgia’s desire to strengthen the provider network and support the delivery of high-quality and accountable care to vulnerable citizens.  The renewal includes the following important improvements for waiver participants.  It incorporates a tiered reimbursement rate for service providers that correlates to the level of residential services provided; expands respite services; restructures the rate for in-home community living support; and expands community living support to allow shared services among participants who wish to live independently as housemates but require supervision and some assistance.

New service options and provider rates associated with the COMP waiver renewal approval will be implemented as of March 1, 2017.  Training for service providers and family members will begin in various locations across Georgia on March 13 with recorded training and a list of frequently asked questions available on the DBHDD website: www.dbhdd.georgia.gov.
 

Comprehensive Supports Waiver Program (COMP) Renewal Implementation FAQs

For more information, contact (404) 463-8035 or [email protected].