RCW 71A.12.380 — Medicaid waiver—Eligibility modification—Dependent children and youth with developmental disabilities.

1. (1) No later than January 1, 2024, the department shall submit to the federal government a request for approval to modify eligibility requirements for the services provided through a medicaid waiver administered by the department to include eligible individuals as specified in RCW 71A.12.370. To the extent consistent with federal law and federal funding requirements, the department shall provide services to eligible individuals as specified in RCW 71A.12.370 through a medicaid waiver administered by the department beginning no later than December 1, 2024.

2. (2)

   1. (a) The legislature recognizes that children and youth with developmental disabilities who are subject to a dependency have unique support needs. To this end, the legislature intends to explore establishing a new medicaid waiver for this population.

   2. (b) By December 1, 2025, the department shall submit a report to the governor and the appropriate committees of the legislature on the feasibility of establishing a new medicaid waiver tailored to meet the needs of dependent children and youth with developmental disabilities who are age 20 or younger and who meet the criteria identified in RCW 71A.12.370(1) and cannot be adequately served through one of the five medicaid waivers administered by the department as of July 23, 2023. The services provided in this waiver shall supplement, and not supplant, the child welfare services and supports a child or youth is entitled to or receives under Title IV-E of the social security act from the department of children, youth, and families, and may not duplicate services or supports available through other funding sources. The report must include:

      1. (i) A comprehensive list and description of the services anticipated to be included in the new waiver and the associated costs by each age group;
      2. (ii) Information on approaches taken by other states to serve children and youth in dependencies with developmental disabilities; and
      3. (iii) Information on the outcome of services being provided under the amended waivers referenced in subsection (1) of this section.
3. (3) The department shall be the lead administrative agency for the waiver design for dependent children and youth and shall collaborate with the department of children, youth, and families and other relevant stakeholders to identify the services and supports currently provided to dependent children and youth and identify services and supports that will supplement supports already provided. The department of children, youth, and families shall provide to the department all information and data that is necessary for the department to determine eligibility for services, to provide appropriate and timely services and supports to qualifying children and youth, to implement and maintain compliance with federal funding requirements, and to complete design of the new waiver.

[ 2023 c 345 s 5.]