SCR 226: URGING THE MED-QUEST DIVISION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES DIVISION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO AMEND THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR THE MEDICAID 1915(C) HOME AND COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICES WAIVER.

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

URGING THE MED-QUEST DIVISION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES DIVISION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO AMEND THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR THE MEDICAID 1915(C) HOME AND COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICES WAIVER.

     WHEREAS, individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities who are eligible for services from the Developmental Disabilities Division of the Department of Health, are eligible for Medicaid, and who meet the level of care criteria, can apply for the Medicaid 1915(c) Home and Community‑Based Services Waiver; and

WHEREAS, the Med-QUEST Division of the Department of Human Services works in partnership with the Developmental Disabilities Division of the Department of Health to design a waiver for Hawaii residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities that is compliant with all waiver requirements, federal and state laws, and waiver standards; and

WHEREAS, under the current administrative rules, individuals are deemed ineligible for the Medicaid 1915(c) Home and Community-Based Services Waiver if the individual's impairments are due to any of several specified conditions, including dementia, mental illness, emotional disorders, substance abuse, sensory impairment, learning disabilities, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, spinal cord injuries, or neuromuscular disorders; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2025, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Med-QUEST Division of the Department of Human Services and the Developmental Disabilities Division of the Department of Health are urged to amend its eligibility criteria for the Medicaid 1915(c) Home and Community-Based Services Waiver to include individuals with an intellectual or a developmental disability and a comorbid mental illness; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that, no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2026, the Developmental Disabilities Division of the Department of Health is requested to submit to the Legislature a report of the status of the Department's amendment to the eligibility criteria for the Medicaid 1915(c) Home and Community-Based Services Waiver to include individuals with an intellectual or a developmental disability and a comorbid mental illness; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Health and Administrator of the Med-QUEST Division of the Department of Human Services.

Report Title: 

Department of Human Services; Med-QUEST Division; Department of Health; Developmental Disabilities Division; Medicaid 1915(c) Home and Community-Based Services Waiver; Eligibility Criteria; Rulemaking