The Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Relief Act of 2023 would provide two years of additional Medicaid funds to improve access to HCBS by increasing direct care worker pay and benefits; decrease the number of people on waiting lists for HCBS; and pay for assistive technologies, staffing, and other costs that facilitate community integration.

The Arc submitted a comment on the proposed rule to streamline the parental consent process when billing Medicaid for services received in school. The Arc's comments emphasized the experience of some families being denied outside services when Medicaid was billed for school services.

The proposed "Ensuring Access to Medicaid Services" rule would create new requirements for state programs to improve access to care, quality, and health outcomes and better address health equity issues in the Medicaid program. The Arc submitted detailed comments on the proposal, particularly related to access to home and community-based services (HCBS).

In this webinar, The Arc of Ohio presented a summary of their assistive technology program as well as provided information about the programs’ history and impact.

The Arc submitted comments for a rule that would advance workers rights in the AbilityOne program. The Arc mentioned concerns over the potential negative impact on nonprofit agencies providing quality jobs. The Arc recommends aligning the rule with the 898 Panel's recommendations to mitigate these risks.