03/23/20121

iBudget Florida Customer and Family Information

Overall Goalsof iBudget Florida

• Self-Direction

• Equity

• Simplicity

• Sustainability

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What is iBudget Florida?

• A brand new waiver!

• Replaces the tiers

• Planned with the help of people with disabilities, their families, waiver support coordinators, providers, and advocates

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Who Helped Create iBudget Florida?

• APD and some customers, families, waiver support coordinators, providers, and advocates have worked hard to develop a new waiver system. Through a stakeholder group that met regularly, lots of public meetings across the state, and input via our website, APD has learned about the changes that people want to see in the system and then made those positive changes happen.

• For instance, a 16-member stakeholder group met for five two-day meetings and three conference calls to help APD think through many details of how the system should work.

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We Listened to Your Concerns:

During these public meetings and stakeholder meetings, we learned a lot. Here are a few of the problems people told us about.

• “We want more services”• “I’m tired of so much change”• “Services my son needs are denied”• “We can do things better ourselves”• “I have to wait for decisions”• “There’s waaaay too much paperwork”• “I want the waiver around to help for the long

term”

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Why a New Waiver?

Best way to have more:•Self-direction: you make more choices, have more control

•Equity: fairness•Sustainability: waiver lives within its means—no deficits

•Simplicity: cut red tape

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How will I know when iBudget Florida REALLY starts for me?

• The federal government has approved the iBudget Florida waiver (it pays for more than half of the cost of the waiver!) and customers in areas 1 and 2 (except CDC+) have already started the program.

• We’ll let you know through a letter and/or phone call when you will begin iBudget Florida.

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What Does iBudget Florida Mean for Me?

• Can choose from your current providers

• Can keep your current Waiver Support Coordinator

• Can change providers and services faster in most cases

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What Does iBudget Florida Mean for Me?

• Your support coordinator will use a new application to help plan and manage services

• Similar services available

• Organized into service families to help you choose among them

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What Does iBudget Florida Mean for Me?

• New and renamed services:– New Personal Supports service (for

adults in family or own home) combines respite, personal care, companion, and in-home supports services

• For more flexibility in what your worker does day-to-day

– Respite Care is still available for individuals under age 21

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What Does iBudget Florida Mean for Me?

• New and renamed services:

– Adult Day Training, Companion, and Supported Employment renamed “Life Skills Development ”

• Still three separate services

– Family and Legal Rep. Training (not available yet)

• Can negotiate rates for Personal Supports and Family and Legal Representative Training

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What Does iBudget Florida Mean for Me?

• Due to the level of funding the Legislature gives us, people may have to prioritize how they use their funds– You’ll have a lot more choice & flexibility to do

so!

• Need budget funding to last the whole year– Additional funding during year only in case of

significant change in circumstances that budget can’t meet

• This will help APD not run deficits while giving individuals more choice and control

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What Does iBudget Florida Mean for Me?

• You’ll be pre-approved for some services• You can request others through your

support coordinator• Basically, you can budget any way as long

as you:–Meet your health and safety needs–Meet requirements for receiving the

service – Are within service limits (some of which

are being raised)

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What Does iBudget Florida Mean for Me?

You’ll have more choice in waiver support coordination• Most adults and children can choose full or

limited waiver support coordination service– Full service remains the same– Limited will use a little less of your budget, but

the waiver support coordinator will be more of a guide and information source

• There will be enhanced waiver support coordination for a very high level of service

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New iBudget FloridaApplication

Your waiver support coordinator will use the iBudget Florida application to create cost plans and track spending

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What Will the New iBudget Florida Application Do?

Enable your support coordinator to:

• Submit Cost Plans

• Review your iBudget Florida Account Information

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CDC+ and iBudget Florida

• CDC+ option will continue

• CDC+ participants will have funding determined through the iBudget Florida waiver

• CDC+ participants will “spend” iBudgets according to CDC+ policies

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Want more information?

• Browse the website iBudgetFlorida.org– There you can read frequently asked

questions, watch a short video, and view other documents and presentations

• Contact your local APD area office for more information about iBudget Florida

• Call your Waiver Support Coordinator

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