HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolutions 20-06-539 - 06/01/2020 - Funding for new NOW/COMP Waiver RecipientsDocuSign Envelope ID : A99202FE-6087-4A56-9BA1-753B8404A08B
STATE OF GEORGIA
COUNTY OF FULTON
RESOLUTION NO. 20-06-539
RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF MILTON CALLING FOR THE STATE OF
GEORGIA FISCAL YEAR 2021 BUDGET TO INCLUDE FUNDING FOR NEW
NOW/COMP WAIVER RECIPIENTS
WHEREAS , Milton , Georgia is a duly formed political subdivision of the State of
Georgia, with all the powers attendant thereto;
WHEREAS , it is the duty and obligation of the City of Milton to represent the interests
of all its citizens ;
WHEREAS , at the age of 18 , all individuals are legally mature adults who are
responsible for their own financial needs and many individuals with disabilities in the Special
Needs community are dependent on Medicaid and other government services to live
independently;
WHEREAS , the New Options Waiver (NOW) and the Comprehensive Supports Waiver
Program (COMP) offer home-and community-based services for people with a developmental
and/or intellectual disability which includes cognitive impairments or other closely-related
conditions such as cerebral palsy , epilepsy, autism , or neurological problems; where as these
intellectual and developmental disabilities require a level of care provided in an intermediate
care facility for people who have cognitive impairments ;
WHEREAS , the NOW waiver program enables individuals with less intense and urgent
needs than out-of-home residential treatment or extensive waiver services to live independently
in the community;
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WHEREAS , the COMP waiver program is for individuals who need comprehensive and
intensive serv ices to live in the community; individuals eligible for the COMP waiver program
need out of home residential s upport and supervision or intensive in-home services to remain in
the community;
WHEREAS , the goals for participants in the NOW program include:
1. Increas ing the independence and quality of life for people with developmental
disabilities ;
2. Supporting families in caring for relatives with developmental disabilities ;
3. Increasing the flexibility of service planning and delivery to meet an individual's needs;
4. A voiding the need for more intensive services.
WHEREAS , eligible individuals include people who are considering nursing
institutional care such as Intermediate Care Facilities for people with cognitive impairments
(ICF-MR) may be eligible for home-and community-based services as an alternative through
Georgia's Medicaid waiver programs; in order to qualify for the waiver programs, the individual
must first meet the criteria for Medicaid payment in an institution and certain other criteria;
WHEREAS , annually there are more people with intellectual and /or developmental
disabilities that remain on a state planning list (also referred to as the waiting li st) who qualify
and need resources from the NOW/COMP Waiver programs; annually budgeted allocations for
"new" waivers are limited and the state planning li st continues to carryover year over year; and
WHEREAS , for the FlRST time since the creation of the Department of Behavioral
Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD), the proposed budget for fiscal year 2021
excludes any new NOW/COMP waivers and therefore the state planning li st will either remain
constant or grow in volume from fiscal year 2020;
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NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED , that the City of Milton does respectfully
request that Governor Brian Kemp and the Georgia State Legislature reintroduce into the July 1,
2020 -June 30 , 2021 budget funding for NOW/COMP waivers at a leve l greater than the fiscal
year 2020 budget level.
SO RESOLVED , the public health , safety and we lfare demanding it , this 1st day of
June , 2020.
Approved:
Joe Lockwood, Mayor
Attest:
QDocuSigned by:
~a~
ar J'xiWi1tf~rdon , City C lerk
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