Section 42-4-120 - Contracts for waiver services; authority of department; emergency case services; cost based payments; training and certification of specialists(a) The department is authorized to enter into contracts with providers of services under a federal home and community based waiver and to enforce the provisions of this section.(b) The department shall adopt and enforce reasonable rules and regulations for the certification of home and community based waiver services, and shall include minimum certification standards for each category of service provider.(c) Before entering into a contract with a provider of services under this section, the department shall ascertain that the provider is in compliance with applicable regulations regarding health care providers adopted pursuant to W.S. 35-2-908, with all applicable professional licensing statutes and regulations and with regulations adopted pursuant to subsection (b) of this section.(d) In addition to other remedies, in the event of a chronic failure to provide services or services that fail to meet the applicable standard of care for the profession involved or a continuing condition creating serious detriment to the health, safety or welfare of recipients of home and community based waiver services, the department may impose a civil penalty upon the provider. For each day of continuing violation, the civil penalty shall not exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) or one percent (1%) of the amount paid to the provider during the previous twelve (12) months, whichever is greater, and any administrative penalty assessed under this section shall be paid over to the state treasurer who shall remit the monies to the county treasurer to the credit of the public school fund of the county in which the violation occurred, except as otherwise provided by federal law for Medicaid certified nursing facilities.(e) The department shall have the same authority to place conditions upon a provider, to impose a monitor or to revoke a certification issued under this section in the manner described in W.S. 35-2-905.(f) The department, not later than April 1, 2008, shall promulgate rules under which an emergency case shall be determined to exist with respect to eligibility for federal home and community based waiver services for persons with developmental disabilities or adult brain injury under this act.(g) The department shall establish by rule and regulation a cost based reimbursement system to pay providers of services and supplies under home and community based waiver programs for persons with developmental disabilities or acquired brain injury. The payment system shall: (i) Use information provided to the department, including but not limited to: (B) Provider claims data;(C) Participant needs assessment data;(D) Other relevant regional and national data.(ii) Establish a new base period to be used in calculating reimbursement rates to providers for fiscal year 2012 and at least once every four (4) years thereafter but not more than once in any two (2) year period. When a new base period is established, the department shall submit a biennial or supplemental budget request to adjust provider reimbursement rates based on the most current base period;(iii) Be developed following consultation with Wyoming developmental disability and acquired brain injury waiver program service providers, developmental disability waiver program clients and their families and an expert in cost based waiver program payment systems, which the department is authorized to retain by contract following competitive bidding;(iv) Be implemented for services and supplies provided under individual budget amounts established on and after July 1, 2008;(v) Be contingent upon approval by the center for Medicare and Medicaid services of the United States department of health and human services;(vi) Require service and supply providers to provide actual cost of service and supply data to the department and to submit to reasonable audits of the submitted data, if requested by the department. (h) The department shall apply to the center for Medicare and Medicaid services of the United States department of health and human services for authorization to reimburse at an enhanced rate direct care providers who have training and certification as behavioral specialists in the care of persons dually diagnosed with a developmental disability and a mental illness.(j) The department, through the developmental disabilities division and the mental health and substance abuse services division, shall collaborate with the University of Wyoming institute for disabilities and the community college commission in developing a training program for behavioral specialists in the care of persons dually diagnosed with a developmental disability and a mental illness. The program shall provide for timely testing and certification and shall include a required curriculum and standards for certification and evaluation of dual diagnosis behavioral specialists where certificants will qualify for reimbursement under the requirements of subsection (h) of this section.(k) Department budget requests for the cost based reimbursement system established pursuant to subsection (g) of this section shall be calculated to reflect all service units required in plans of care for recipients as of the preceding June 30.(m) The department shall ensure that state agencies working with service providers receiving funds pursuant to this section shall have established employment first policies, including competitive employment in an integrated setting, consistent with the requirements of W.S. 9-2-3207.(n) For purposes of this section, "military service member" means any person serving in the uniformed services as defined in W.S. 8-1-102(a)(xxii) . Military service members shall have the following benefits if they meet the qualifications listed: (i) Active duty military service members who have been assigned to serve in Wyoming may submit an application for waiver services under this paragraph upon receiving military orders to serve in Wyoming, provided that no qualifying dependent shall receive services until the dependent is residing in Wyoming;(ii) Active duty military service members retiring or separating from active duty military service may submit an application for waiver services under this paragraph upon receiving retirement or separation orders, provided that:(A) The military member certifies on a form provided by the department that he intends to reside in Wyoming within eighteen (18) months after retiring or separating from military service;(B) The military service member claimed Wyoming as his primary state of residency for not less than two (2) years prior to his military service as proved by documentation required by the department;(C) The military service member claimed Wyoming residency on his leave and earnings statements while serving in the military; and(D) No covered services shall be received pursuant to this paragraph unless and until the qualifying dependent and the military service member are residing in Wyoming within eighteen (18) months after the military service member retires or separates from active military service.(iii) Military service members who qualified for and received or were previously placed on the waiting list to receive dependent waiver services under the home and community based Medicaid waivers authorized by this section, and who left the state for military reasons, shall upon their return to the state for continued military service or upon military separation or retirement be placed in a status identical to where they would be if they had not left the state provided that: (A) The military service member claimed Wyoming residency on his leave and earnings statements while serving in the military; and(B) For retiring or separating military service members, in no case shall covered services be received pursuant to this paragraph unless and until the military service member and the qualifying dependent are residing in Wyoming within eighteen (18) months after the military service member retires or separates from active military service.(o) Applicants who are qualifying military service members under subsection (n) of this section may also be considered for funding made available to any other applicant under this section and shall receive services from whatever source of funding for which they first qualify. In consultation with the Wyoming military department, the department of health shall promulgate rules and regulations regarding applications and qualifications for waiver services authorized by subsection (n) of this section.Amended by Laws 2023, ch. 48,§ 1, eff. 7/1/2023.Amended by Laws 2021 , ch. 56, § 3, eff. 4/1/2021.Amended by Laws 2017 , ch. 115, § 1, eff. 3/2/2017.Amended by Laws 2016 , ch. 37, § 1, eff. 7/1/2016.Amended by Laws 2015 , ch. 59, § 1, eff. 2/26/2015.Amended by Laws 2014 , ch. 44, § 1, eff. 7/1/2014.Amended by Laws 2011 , ch. 163, § 2, eff. 3/3/2011.