Consumer Directed Community Supports

CDCS is a service available to individuals with Medical Assistance (MA) and a waiver.

CSG is available to qualifying individuals with only Medical Assistance.

If you choose to use self-directed services, you receive a personal budget allocation from the state to fund the services and supports you need. Your budget allocation is based on a PCA or MNChoices assessment, and can change if your condition changes.

Summit Fiscal Agency is a Fiscal Support Entity (FSE). We provide a menu of employment and reimbursement services to you and act as a billing liaison between you and the state. There are three models of support that describe the balance of consumer responsibility and Summit supports:

Agency with Choice, Vendor Fiscal/Employer Agent and Fiscal Conduit.

The Agency with Choice model offers the most support to you or your representative if you want to direct your own services. Under this model, Summit is the Common Law Employer and you or your representative are the Managing Employer (ME). This is a dual employer arrangement that allows you to recruit, screen, hire, train, supervise and evaluate employees, and set employee wages and mileage reimbursement rates based on your budget. You obtain and verify all of your employees’ paperwork, timecards and expense reimbursement requests. While you are free to decide you no longer want to have an employee work in your home, Summit retains the authority to discharge the employee in its role as the Common Law Employer.

As the Common Law Employer, Summit requires background and motor vehicle checks, carries liability insurance, a worker’s compensation policy, and pays all wages and taxes. Under the Agency with Choice model, Summit provides all the tools and materials that you need to manage both your employees and your state allocation.

With the Vendor Fiscal/Employer Agent model, you or your representative are the Common Law Employer. This means that you obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN) and are the lawful employer of those who provide you with direct support. This model allows you to have autonomy and self-direction in managing your support services. You will hire employees, train, supervise, evaluate and discharge them at your own discretion. You must also take responsibility for following all applicable federal and state employment laws. You must complete all employer paperwork and obtain proper insurance and workers compensation policies.

In the Vendor Fiscal/Employer Agent model, Summit is NOT the employer. Summit is your agent that provides administrative support, such as paychecks to employees, payment of payroll taxes, processing of employment related information and record keeping. Summit will pay the workers’ compensation premiums on your behalf. Summit will also provide you or your representative with the forms and information needed to become an employer and to manage employees. You and your representative have both the responsibility and liability for properly executing employer obligations and for following all applicable laws.

The Fiscal Conduit model allows you the most flexibility and self-direction. You become the Common Law Employer and are responsible for managing all aspects of your household business including: paying support workers and other vendors for goods and services directly, and managing or outsourcing the management of payroll related tasks. In this scenario, Summit will reimburse you for payments made after the services are rendered. You may also request that Summit pay vendors directly after you have approved the expense.

Summit will require that you file documentation prior to billing and cash disbursement. This will include payroll documentation that indicates individual wages paid and taxes withheld and paid. All expenses that have been paid require receipts.

Across all models, Summit will perform billing as the Medical Assistance-enrolled provider, verify documentation of allowable expenditures, and report use of the allocation to you, your County and the Department of Human Services. Summit’s responsibility under the fiscal conduit model is limited to these actions.

Can we help you or someone you love to live a more independent life? Summit Fiscal Agency and Pinnacle Services work side-by-side to provide comprehensive, customer-friendly service to individuals using CDCS, CSG and waiver programs. For more information about the CDCS and CSG programs or the associated models of service, please feel free to contact Chris Smith at 612.977.3952 or chris.smith@pinnacleservices.org.

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New venue, new attractions.  This year Pinnacle Services began what it hopes to be a tradition; The Pinnacle Pub Crawl.  Approximately 150 participants gathered Wednesday evening to receive pub crawl T-shirts and patronize some of the area establishments surrounding the Hilton.  Pre-registration was required and managed by the MSSA conference committee.  Pinnacle Services employees served as guides visiting Hell’s Kitchen, 8^th Street Grill, Brit’s Pub and Eating Establishment, The Local and Zelo.  Feedback from attendees of the event was overwhelmingly positive.  Pinnacle Services also participated in the Booth Bash conference event Thursday evening.  While the organization did not sponsor a booth, attendees were invited to try the 14 foot Velcro Wall the agency provided.

The widely attended annual conference and expo provides opportunity for those in the field to attend educational sessions, network and gather information.  Pinnacle Services provided information to attendees regarding the services the agency provides including In Home Family Support, Housing with Services, Case Management/Service Coordination, Employment Services, Independent Living Skills, Semi-Independent Living Services, Support Planning, Corporate Foster Care and Supported Living Services, Home Care Services and 24 hour Customized Living Services.

For more information regarding any of these services please contact Sara Yee, Program Director at sara.yee@pinnacleservices.org.

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This is a response to your news story about the Consumer Directed Consumer Reports story this past Sunday, Sept. 25. While it presented some very good aspects of the program, it also presented some inaccuracies that need to be addressed. Some of those points:

1) The written story (not the video version) said 23,000 people are participating in the CDCS program. The correct number of participants is 2,347.

2) The story said that the “state could write all these people a check.” The state does not write checks to recipients.

3) In quoting Mr. Ferrell, the story leads the viewer to believe that the program can be used to purchase computers, printers, digital cameras, cell phones, Internet service and memberships to the zoo and the Science Museum of Minnesota. While there are instances where program funds have been used to purchase such things as a cell phone or computer, these purchases are approved as needed for people with disabilities who have special needs requiring such items in order to be able to communicate. Membership to the above mentioned organizations or such items as cameras and Internet service are not to be purchased through the CDCS program.

4) The story also reported that the state is not able to track the program separately. I’m afraid I misled you to believe that is the case. It is not. The budget for the CDCS program is closely monitored and indeed, each participant’s budget is very closely monitored by what we call a Fiscal Support Entity(FSE). This is an organization approved by DHS that oversees the program participant’s budget. The FSE writes the checks for the recipient’s services and works with the recipient in managing the plan. On the state level, the budget for the CDCS service and all provider services budgets are very closely controlled and monitored.

Finally, our staff provided me with a detailed list of goods and services that shall not be permitted with the participant’s budget. In addition, I will include at the bottom a link to a CDCS program description that includes allowed and unallowed items.

Goods and services that shall not be purchased within the enrollee’s budget are:

•Services provided to people living in licensed foster care settings, settings licensed by DHS or MDH, or registered as a housing with services establishment;
•Services covered by the state plan, Medicare, or other liable third parties including education, home-based schooling, and vocational services;
•Services, goods or supports provided to or benefiting persons other than the enrollee;
•Any fees incurred by the enrollee such as MHCP fees and co-pays, attorney costs or costs related to advocate agencies, with the exception of services provided as flexible case management;
•Insurance except for insurance costs related to employee coverage;
•Room and board and personal items that are not related to the disability;
•Home modifications that add any square footage;
•Home modifications for a residence other than the primary residence of the enrollee or, in the event of a minor with parents not living together, the primary residences of the parents;
•Expenses for travel, lodging, or meals related to training the enrollee or his/her representative or paid or unpaid caregivers;
•Services provided to or by enrollees, representatives, providers or caregivers that have at any time been assigned to the Primary Care Utilization and Review Program;
•Experimental treatments;
•All prescription and over-the-counter medications, compounds, and solutions, and related fees including premiums and co-payments;
•Membership dues or costs except as specified in the service description and provider standards related to fitness or physical exercise;
•Vacation expenses other than the cost of direct services;
•Vehicle maintenance, does not include maintenance to; modifications related the disability;
•Tickets and related costs to attend sporting or other recreational events;
•Animals, including service animals, and their related costs;
•Costs related to internet access.

http://www.dhs.state.mn.us/main/groups/county_access/documents/pub/dhs16_141654.pdf

We at DHS feel that the Consumer Directed Community Supports program is an excellent way for people with disabilities to have more control over the care they receive and who provides it

The post DHS Responds to Fox 9′s CDCS Report appeared first on Pinnacle Services.

Story link: MyFoxTWINCITIES.com

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