441—78.34 (249A) HCBS ill and handicapped waiver services. Payment will be approved for the following services to clients eligible for HCBS ill and handicapped waiver services as established in 441—Chapter 83. Services must be billed in whole units.
	 78.34(1) Homemaker services. Homemaker services are those services provided when the client lives alone or when the person who usually performs these functions for the client needs assistance with performing the functions. A unit of service is one hour. Components of the service are directly related to the care of the client and include:
	  a.   	 Essential shopping: shopping for basic need items such as food, clothing or personal care items, or drugs.
	  b.   	 Limited housecleaning: maintenance cleaning such as vacuuming, dusting, scrubbing floors, defrosting refrigerators, cleaning stoves, cleaning medical equipment, washing and mending clothes, washing personal items used by the client, and dishes.
	  c.   	 Rescinded IAB 9/30/92, effective 12/1/92.
	  d.   	 Meal preparation planning and preparing balanced meals.
	 78.34(2) Home health services. Home health services are personal or direct care services provided to the client which are not payable under Medicaid as set forth in rule 441—78.9(249A). A unit of service is a visit.
	  a.   	 Components of the service include, but are not limited to:
	 (1) 	 Observation and reporting of physical or emotional needs.
	 (2) 	 Helping a client with bath, shampoo, or oral hygiene.
	 (3) 	 Helping a client with toileting.
	 (4) 	 Helping a client in and out of bed and with ambulation.
	 (5) 	 Helping a client reestablish activities of daily living.
	 (6) 	 Assisting with oral medications ordered by the physician which are ordinarily self-administered.
	 (7) 	 Performing incidental household services which are essential to the client’s health care at home and are necessary to prevent or postpone institutionalization in order to complete a full unit of service.
	 (8) 	 Accompaniment to medical services or transport to and from school.
	  b.   	 In some cases, a nurse may provide home health services if the health of the client is such that the agency is unable to place an aide in that situation due to limitations by state law or in the event that the agency’s Medicare certification requirements prohibit the aide from providing the service. It is not permitted for the convenience of the provider.
	  c.   	 Skilled nursing care is not covered.
	 78.34(3) Adult day care services. Adult day care services provide an organized program of supportive care in a group environment to persons who need a degree of supervision and assistance on a regular or intermittent basis in a day care center. A unit of service is a half day (1 to 4 hours), a full day (4 to 8 hours), or an extended day (8 to 12 hours). Components of the service include health-related care, social services, and other related support services.
	 78.34(4) Nursing care services. Nursing care services are services which are included in the plan of treatment approved by the physician and which are provided by licensed nurses to consumers in the home and community. The services shall be reasonable and necessary to the treatment of an illness or injury and include all nursing tasks recognized by the Iowa board of nursing. A unit of service is a visit.
	 78.34(5) Respite care services. Respite care services are services provided to the member that give temporary relief to the usual caregiver and provide all the necessary care that the usual caregiver would provide during that period. The purpose of respite care is to enable the member to remain in the member’s current living situation.
	  a.   	 Services provided outside the member’s home shall not be reimbursable if the living unit where respite is provided is reserved for another person on a temporary leave of absence.
	  b.   	 Member-to-staff ratios shall be appropriate to the individual needs of the member as determined by the member’s interdisciplinary team.
	  c.   	 A unit of service is one hour.
	  d.   	 Respite care is not to be provided to members during the hours in which the usual caregiver is employed except when the member is attending a 24-hour residential camp. Respite care shall not be used as a substitute for a child’s day care. Respite cannot be provided to a member whose usual caregiver is a consumer-directed attendant care provider for the member.
	  e.   	 The interdisciplinary team shall determine if the member will receive basic individual respite, specialized respite, or group respite as defined in rule 441—83.1(249A).
	  f.   	 A maximum of 14 consecutive days of 24-hour respite care may be reimbursed.
	  g.   	 Respite services provided for a period exceeding 24 consecutive hours to three or more individuals who require nursing care because of a mental or physical condition must be provided by a health care facility licensed as described in Iowa Code chapter 135C.
	 78.34(6) Counseling services. Counseling services are face-to-face mental health services provided to the client and caregiver by a mental health professional as defined in rule 441—24.61(225C,230A) to facilitate home management of the client and prevent institutionalization. Counseling services are nonpsychiatric services necessary for the management of depression, assistance with the grief process, alleviation of psychosocial isolation and support in coping with a disability or illness, including terminal illness. Counseling services may be provided both for the purpose of training the client’s family or other caregiver to provide care, and for the purpose of helping the client and those caring for the client to adjust to the client’s disability or terminal condition. Counseling services may be provided to the client’s caregiver only when included in the case plan for the client.
Payment will be made for individual and group counseling. A unit of individual counseling for the waiver client or the waiver client and the client’s caregiver is 15 minutes. A unit of group counseling is one hour. Payment for group counseling is based on the group rate divided by six, or, if the number of persons who comprise the group exceeds six, the actual number of persons who comprise the group.
	 78.34(7) Consumer-directed attendant care service. Consumer-directed attendant care services are service activities performed by a person to help a member with self-care tasks which the member would typically do independently if the member were otherwise able.
	  a.   	 The service activities may include helping the member with any of the following nonskilled service activities:
	 (1) 	 Dressing.
	 (2) 	 Bath, shampoo, hygiene, and grooming.
	 (3) 	 Access to and from bed or a wheelchair, transferring, ambulation, and mobility in general. It is recommended that the provider receive certification of training and return demonstration for transferring. Certification for this is available through the area community colleges.
	 (4) 	 Toilet assistance, including bowel, bladder, and catheter assistance. It is recommended that the provider receive certification of training and return demonstration for catheter assistance. Certification for this is available through the area community colleges.
	 (5) 	 Meal preparation, cooking, and assistance with eating but not the cost of meals themselves. Meal preparation and cooking shall be provided only in the member’s home.
	 (6) 	 Housekeeping services which are essential to the member’s health care at home.
	 (7) 	 Medications ordinarily self-administered including those ordered by a physician or other qualified health care provider. It is recommended the provider successfully complete a medication aide course administered by an area community college.
	 (8) 	 Wound care.
	 (9) 	 Assistance needed to go to or return from a place of employment and assistance with job-related tasks while the member is on the job site. The cost of transportation for the member and assistance with understanding or performing the essential job functions are not included in consumer-directed attendant care services.
	 (10) 	 Cognitive assistance with tasks such as handling money and scheduling.
	 (11) 	 Fostering communication through interpreting and reading services as well as assistive devices for communication.
	 (12) 	 Assisting or accompanying a member in using transportation essential to the health and welfare of the member. The cost of the transportation is not included.
	  b.   	 The service activities may include helping the member with any of the following skilled services under the supervision of a licensed nurse or licensed therapist working under the direction of a physician. The licensed nurse or therapist shall retain accountability for actions that are delegated. The licensed nurse or therapist shall ensure appropriate assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation. The licensed nurse or therapist shall make on-site supervisory visits every two weeks with the provider present. The cost of the supervision provided by the licensed nurse or therapist shall be paid from private insurance and other third-party payment sources, Medicare, the regular Medicaid program, or the early periodic screening diagnosis and treatment program.
	 (1) 	 Tube feedings of members unable to eat solid foods.
	 (2) 	 Intravenous therapy administered by a registered nurse.
	 (3) 	 Parenteral injections required more than once a week.
	 (4) 	 Catheterizations, continuing care of indwelling catheters with supervision of irrigations, and changing of Foley catheters when required.
	 (5) 	 Respiratory care including inhalation therapy and tracheotomy care or tracheotomy care and ventilator.
	 (6) 	 Care of decubiti and other ulcerated areas, noting and reporting to the nurse or therapist.
	 (7) 	 Rehabilitation services including, but not limited to, bowel and bladder training, range of motion exercises, ambulation training, restorative nursing services, reteaching the activities of daily living, respiratory care and breathing programs, reality orientation, reminiscing therapy, remotivation, and behavior modification.
	 (8) 	 Colostomy care.
	 (9) 	 Care of medical conditions out of control which includes brittle diabetes and comfort care of terminal conditions.
	 (10) 	 Postsurgical nursing care.
	 (11) 	 Monitoring medications requiring close supervision because of fluctuating physical or psychological conditions, e.g., antihypertensives, digitalis preparations, mood-altering or psychotropic drugs, or narcotics.
	 (12) 	 Preparing and monitoring response to therapeutic diets.
	 (13) 	 Recording and reporting of changes in vital signs to the nurse or therapist.
	  c.   	 A unit of service is 1 hour or one 8- to 24-hour day. Each service shall be billed in whole units. The consumer-directed attendant care provider shall complete Form 470-4389, Consumer-Directed Attendant Care (CDAC) Service Record, for each day of service.
	  d.   	 The member, parent, guardian, or attorney in fact under a durable power of attorney for health care shall be responsible for selecting the person or agency that will provide the components of the attendant care services.
	  e.   	 The member, parent, guardian, or attorney in fact under a durable power of attorney for health care shall determine the components of the attendant care services to be provided with the person who is providing the services to the member.
	  f.   	 The service activities shall not include parenting or child care for or on behalf of the member or on behalf of the provider.
	  g.   	 The member, parent, guardian, or attorney in fact under a durable power of attorney for health care and the provider shall complete, sign, and date Form 470-3372, HCBS Consumer-Directed Attendant Care Agreement. A copy of the completed agreement shall be attached to the service plan and kept in the member’s records.
	  h.   	 If the member has a guardian or attorney in fact under a durable power of attorney for health care, the care plan shall address how consumer-directed attendant care services will be monitored to ensure the member’s needs are being adequately met. If the guardian or attorney in fact is the service provider, the service plan shall address how the service worker or case manager shall oversee service provision.
	  i.   	 If the member has a guardian or attorney in fact under a durable power of attorney for health care, the guardian or attorney in fact shall sign the claim form in place of the member, indicating that the service has been provided as presented on the claim.
	  j.   	 The frequency or intensity of services shall be indicated in the service plan.
	  k.   	 Consumer-directed attendant care services may not be simultaneously reimbursed with any other HCBS waiver services.
	  l.   	 Consumer-directed attendant care services may be provided to a recipient of in-home health-related care services, but not at the same time.
	  m.   	 Services may be provided in the absence of a parent or guardian if the parent or guardian has given advanced direction for the service provision.
	 78.34(8) Interim medical monitoring and treatment services. Interim medical monitoring and treatment (IMMT) services are monitoring and treatment of a medical nature for children or adults whose medical needs make alternative care unavailable, inadequate, or insufficient. IMMT services are not intended to provide day care but to supplement available resources. Services must be ordered by a physician.
	  a.   	 Need for service. The member must be currently receiving home health agency services under rule 441—78.9(249A) and require medical assessment, medical monitoring, and regular medical intervention or intervention in a medical emergency during those services. The service worker or case manager must identify the need for IMMT services after evaluating the member’s living environment, family and natural supports, ability to perform activities of daily living, and health care needs. The services must be needed:
	 (1) 	 To allow the member’s usual caregivers to be employed,
	 (2) 	 During a search for employment by a usual caregiver,
	 (3) 	 To allow for academic or vocational training of a usual caregiver,
	 (4) 	 Due to the hospitalization of a usual caregiver for treatment for physical or mental illness, or
	 (5) 	 Due to the death of a usual caregiver.
	  b.   	 Service requirements. Interim medical monitoring and treatment services shall:
	 (1) 	 Provide experiences for each member’s social, emotional, intellectual, and physical development;
	 (2) 	 Include comprehensive developmental care and any special services for a member with special needs; and
	 (3) 	 Include medical assessment, medical monitoring, and medical intervention as needed on a regular or emergency basis. Medical intervention means the ability to assess the situation and contact the appropriate medical professional, not the direct application of medical care.
	  c.   	 Interim medical monitoring and treatment services may include supervision while the member is being transported to and from school.
	  d.   	 Limitations.
	 (1) 	 A maximum of 12 one-hour units of service is available per day.
	 (2) 	 Covered services do not include a complete nutritional regimen.
	 (3) 	 Interim medical monitoring and treatment services may not duplicate any regular Medicaid or waiver services provided under the state plan. Services under the state plan, including home health agency services under rule 441—78.9(249A), must be exhausted before IMMT services are accessed.
	 (4) 	 Interim medical monitoring and treatment services shall be provided only in the member’s home; in a registered child development home; in a licensed child care center, residential care facility, or adult day care facility; or during the time when the member is being transported to and from school.
	 (5) 	 The member-to-staff ratio shall not be more than six members to one staff person.
	 (6) 	 The parent or guardian of the member shall be responsible for the usual and customary nonmedical cost of day care during the time in which the member is receiving IMMT services. Medical care necessary for monitoring and treatment is an allowable IMMT cost. If the cost of care goes above the usual and customary cost of day care services due to the member’s medical condition, the costs above the usual and customary cost shall be covered as IMMT services.
	  e.   	 A unit of service is one hour.
	 78.34(9) Home and vehicle modification. Covered home and vehicle modifications are physical modifications to the member’s home or vehicle that directly address the member’s medical or remedial need. Covered modifications must be necessary to provide for the health, welfare, or safety of the member and enable the member to function with greater independence in the home or vehicle.
	  a.   	 Modifications that are necessary or desirable without regard to the member’s medical or remedial need and that would be expected to increase the fair market value of the home or vehicle, such as furnaces, fencing, or adding square footage to the residence, are excluded except as specifically included below. Purchasing or leasing of a motorized vehicle is excluded. Home and vehicle repairs are also excluded.
	  b.   	 Only the following modifications are covered:
	 (1) 	 Kitchen counters, sink space, cabinets, special adaptations to refrigerators, stoves, and ovens.
	 (2) 	 Bathtubs and toilets to accommodate transfer, special handles and hoses for shower heads, water faucet controls, and accessible showers and sink areas.
	 (3) 	 Grab bars and handrails.
	 (4) 	 Turnaround space adaptations.
	 (5) 	 Ramps, lifts, and door, hall and window widening.
	 (6) 	 Fire safety alarm equipment specific for disability.
	 (7) 	 Voice-activated, sound-activated, light-activated, motion-activated, and electronic devices directly related to the member’s disability.
	 (8) 	 Vehicle lifts, driver-specific adaptations, remote-start systems, including such modifications already installed in a vehicle.
	 (9) 	 Keyless entry systems.
	 (10) 	 Automatic opening device for home or vehicle door.
	 (11) 	 Special door and window locks.
	 (12) 	 Specialized doorknobs and handles.
	 (13) 	 Plexiglas replacement for glass windows.
	 (14) 	 Modification of existing stairs to widen, lower, raise or enclose open stairs.
	 (15) 	 Motion detectors.
	 (16) 	 Low-pile carpeting or slip-resistant flooring.
	 (17) 	 Telecommunications device for the deaf.
	 (18) 	 Exterior hard-surface pathways.
	 (19) 	 New door opening.
	 (20) 	 Pocket doors.
	 (21) 	 Installation or relocation of controls, outlets, switches.
	 (22) 	 Air conditioning and air filtering if medically necessary.
	 (23) 	 Heightening of existing garage door opening to accommodate modified van.
	 (24) 	 Bath chairs.
	  c.   	 A unit of service is the completion of needed modifications or adaptations.
	  d.   	 All modifications and adaptations shall be provided in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local building and vehicle codes.
	  e.   	 Services shall be performed following department approval of a binding contract between the enrolled home and vehicle modification provider and the member. Whenever possible, three itemized, competitive bids shall be obtained for each project and be reviewed by the case manager or service worker before approval of the contract.
	  f.   	 The contract shall include the scope of work to be performed, the time involved, supplies needed, the cost, diagrams of the project whenever applicable, and an assurance that the provider has liability and workers’ compensation coverage and the applicable permit and license.
	  g.   	 Service payment shall be made to the enrolled home and vehicle modification provider. If applicable, payment will be forwarded to the subcontracting agency by the enrolled home and vehicle modification provider following completion of the approved modifications.
	 (1) 	 Payment of up to $6,060 per year may be made to certified providers upon satisfactory completion of the service.
	 (2) 	 The case manager or service worker shall encumber a portion of the cost of a modification every month within the monthly dollar cap allowed for the member until the entire cost of the modification is encumbered within a consecutive 12-month period.
	  h.   	 Services shall be included in the member’s service plan and shall exceed the Medicaid state plan services.
	 78.34(10) Personal emergency response or portable locator system.
	  a.   	 A personal emergency response system is an electronic device that transmits a signal to a central monitoring station to summon assistance in the event of an emergency.
	 (1) 	 The required components of the system are:
	  1. 	 An in-home medical communications transceiver.
	  2. 	 A remote, portable activator.
	  3. 	 A central monitoring station with backup systems staffed by trained attendants at all times.
	  4. 	 Current data files at the central monitoring station containing response protocols and personal, medical, and emergency information for each member.
	 (2) 	 The service shall be identified in the member’s service plan.
	 (3) 	 A unit of service is a one-time installation fee or one month of service.
	 (4) 	 Maximum units per state fiscal year shall be the initial installation and 12 months of service.
	  b.   	 A portable locator system is an electronic device that transmits a signal to a monitoring device. The system allows a member to access assistance in the event of an emergency and allows law enforcement or the monitoring system provider to locate a member who is unable to request help or to activate a system independently. The member must be unable to access assistance in an emergency situation due to the member’s age or disability.
	 (1) 	 The required components of the portable locator system are:
	  1. 	 A portable communications transceiver or transmitter to be worn or carried by the member.
	  2. 	 Monitoring by the provider at a central location with response protocols and personal, medical, and emergency information for each member as applicable.
	 (2) 	 The service shall be identified in the member’s service plan.
	 (3) 	 Payable units of service are purchase of equipment, an installation or set-up fee, and monthly fees.
	 (4) 	 Maximum units per state fiscal year shall be one equipment purchase, one installation or set-up fee, and 12 months of service.
	 78.34(11) Home-delivered meals. Home-delivered meals are meals prepared elsewhere and delivered to a member at the member’s residence.
	  a.   	 Each meal shall ensure the member receives a minimum of one-third of the daily recommended dietary allowance as established by the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences. The meal may also be a liquid supplement that meets the minimum one-third standard.
	  b.   	 When a restaurant provides the home-delivered meal, the member is required to have a nutritional consultation. The nutritional consultation includes contact with the restaurant to explain the dietary needs of the member and what constitutes the minimum one-third daily dietary allowance.
	  c.   	 A maximum of two meals is allowed per day. A unit of service is a meal.
	 78.34(12) Nutritional counseling. Nutritional counseling services may be provided for a nutritional problem or condition of such a degree of severity that nutritional counseling beyond that normally expected as part of the standard medical management is warranted. A unit of service is 15 minutes.
	 78.34(13) Consumer choices option. The consumer choices option provides a member with a flexible monthly individual budget that is based on the member’s service needs. With the individual budget, the member shall have the authority to purchase goods and services to meet the member’s assessed needs and may choose to employ providers of services and supports. The services, supports, and items that are purchased with an individual budget must be directly related to a member’s assessed need or goal established in the member’s service plan. Components of this service are set forth below.
	  a.   	 Agreement. As a condition of participating in the consumer choices option, a member shall sign Form 470-4289, HCBS Consumer Choices Informed Consent and Risk Agreement, to document that the member has been informed of the responsibilities and risks of electing the consumer choices option.
	  b.   	 Individual budget amount. A monthly individual budget amount shall be established for each member based on the assessed needs of the member and based on the services and supports authorized in the member’s service plan. The member shall be informed of the individual budget amount during the development of the service plan.
	 (1) 	 Services that may be included in determining the individual budget amount for a member in the HCBS ill and handicapped waiver are:
	  1. 	 Consumer-directed attendant care (unskilled).
	  2. 	 Home and vehicle modification.
	  3. 	 Home-delivered meals.
	  4. 	 Homemaker service.
	  5. 	 Basic individual respite care.
	 (2) 	 The department shall determine an average unit cost for each service listed in subparagraph 78.34(13)“b”(1) based on actual unit costs from the previous fiscal year plus a cost-of-living adjustment.
	 (3) 	 In aggregate, costs for individual budget services shall not exceed the current costs of waiver program services. In order to maintain cost neutrality, the department shall apply a utilization adjustment factor to the amount of service authorized in the member’s service plan before calculating the value of that service to be included in the individual budget amount.
	 (4) 	 The department shall compute the utilization adjustment factor for each service by dividing the net costs of all claims paid for the service by the total of the authorized costs for that service, using at least 12 consecutive months of aggregate service data. The utilization adjustment factor shall be no lower than 60 percent. The department shall analyze and adjust the utilization adjustment factor at least annually in order to maintain cost neutrality.
	 (5) 	 Individual budgets for respite services shall be computed based on the average cost for services identified in subparagraph 78.34(13)“b”(2). Respite services are not subject to the utilization adjustment factor in subparagraph 78.34(13)“b”(3).
	 (6) 	 Anticipated costs for home and vehicle modification are not subject to the average cost in subparagraph 78.34(13)“b”(2) or the utilization adjustment factor in subparagraph 78.34(13)“b”(3). Anticipated costs for home and vehicle modification shall not include the costs of the financial management services or the independent support broker. Before becoming part of the individual budget, all home and vehicle modifications shall be identified in the member’s service plan and approved by the case manager or service worker. Costs for home and vehicle modification may be paid to the financial management services provider in a one-time payment.
	 (7) 	 The individual budget amount may be changed only at the first of the month and shall remain fixed for the entire month.
	  c.   	 Required service components. To participate in the consumer choices option, a member must hire an independent support broker and must work with a financial management service that is enrolled as a Medicaid provider. Before hiring the independent support broker, the member shall receive the results of the background check conducted pursuant to 441—Chapter 119.
	  d.   	 Optional service components. A member who elects the consumer choices option may purchase the following goods, services and supports, which shall be provided in the member’s home or at an integrated community setting:
	 (1) 	 Self-directed personal care services. Self-directed personal care services are services or goods that provide a range of assistance in activities of daily living and incidental activities of daily living that help the member remain in the home and community. These services must be identified in the member’s service plan developed by the member’s case manager or service worker.
	 (2) 	 Self-directed community supports and employment. Self-directed community supports and employment are services that support the member in developing and maintaining independence and community integration. These services must be identified in the member’s service plan developed by the member’s case manager or service worker.
	 (3) 	 Individual-directed goods and services. Individual-directed goods and services are services, equipment, or supplies not otherwise provided through the Medicaid program that address an assessed need or goal identified in the member’s service plan. The item or service shall meet the following requirements:
	  1. 	 Promote opportunities for community living and inclusion.
	  2. 	 Increase independence or substitute for human assistance, to the extent the expenditures would otherwise be made for that human assistance.
	  3. 	 Be accommodated within the member’s budget without compromising the member’s health and safety.
	  4. 	 Be provided to the member or directed exclusively toward the benefit of the member.
	  5. 	 Be the least costly to meet the member’s needs.
	  6. 	 Not be available through another source.
	  e.   	 Development of the individual budget. The independent support broker shall assist the member in developing and implementing the member’s individual budget. The individual budget shall include:
	 (1) 	 The costs of the financial management service.
	 (2) 	 The costs of the independent support broker. The independent support broker may be compensated for up to 6 hours of service for assisting with the implementation of the initial individual budget. The independent support broker shall not be paid for more than 30 hours of service for an individual member during a 12-month period without prior approval by the department.
	 (3) 	 The costs of any optional service component chosen by the member as described in paragraph 78.34(13)“d.” Costs of the following items and services shall not be covered by the individual budget:
	  1. 	 Child care services.
	  2. 	 Clothing not related to an assessed medical need.
	  3. 	 Conference, meeting or similar venue expenses other than the costs of approved services the member needs while attending the conference, meeting or similar venue.
	  4. 	 Costs associated with shipping items to the member.
	  5. 	 Experimental and non-FDA-approved medications, therapies, or treatments.
	  6. 	 Goods or services covered by other Medicaid programs.
	  7. 	 Home furnishings.
	  8. 	 Home repairs or home maintenance.
	  9. 	 Homeopathic treatments.
	  10. 	 Insurance premiums or copayments.
	  11. 	 Items purchased on installment payments.
	  12. 	 Motorized vehicles.
	  13. 	 Nutritional supplements.
	  14. 	 Personal entertainment items.
	  15. 	 Repairs and maintenance of motor vehicles.
	  16. 	 Room and board, including rent or mortgage payments.
	  17. 	 School tuition.
	  18. 	 Service animals.
	  19. 	 Services covered by third parties or services that are the responsibility of a non-Medicaid program.
	  20. 	 Sheltered workshop services.
	  21. 	 Social or recreational purchases not related to an assessed need or goal identified in the member’s service plan.
	  22. 	 Vacation expenses, other than the costs of approved services the member needs while on vacation.
	 (4) 	 The costs of any approved home or vehicle modification. When authorized, the budget may include an amount allocated for a home or vehicle modification. Before becoming part of the individual budget, all home and vehicle modifications shall be identified in the member’s service plan and approved by the case manager or service worker. The authorized amount shall not be used for anything other than the specific modification.
	 (5) 	 Any amount set aside in a savings plan to reserve funds for the future purchase of self-directed personal care, individual-directed goods and services, or self-directed community supports and services as defined in paragraph 78.34(13)“d.” The savings plan shall meet the requirements in paragraph 78.34(13)“f.”
	  f.   	 Savings plan. A member savings plan must be in writing and be approved by the department before the start of the savings plan. Amounts allocated to the savings plan must result from efficiencies in meeting identified needs of the member.
	 (1) 	 The savings plan shall identify:
	  1. 	 The specific goods, services, supports or supplies to be purchased through the savings plan.
	  2. 	 The amount of the individual budget allocated each month to the savings plan.
	  3. 	 The amount of the individual budget allocated each month to meet the member’s identified service needs.
	  4. 	 How the member’s assessed needs will continue to be met through the individual budget when funds are placed in savings.
	 (2) 	 With the exception of funds allocated for respite care, the savings plan shall not include funds budgeted for direct services that were not received. The budgeted amount associated with unused direct services other than respite care shall revert to the Medicaid program at the end of each month. Funds from unused respite services may be allocated to the savings plan but shall not be used for anything other than future respite care.
	 (3) 	 Funds accumulated under a savings plan shall be used only to purchase items that increase independence or substitute for human assistance to the extent that expenditures would otherwise be made for human assistance, including additional goods, supports, services or supplies. The self-directed personal care, individual-directed goods and services, or self-directed community supports and services purchased with funds from a savings plan must:
	  1. 	 Be used to meet a member’s identified need,
	  2. 	 Be medically necessary, and
	  3. 	 Be approved by the member’s case manager or service worker.
	 (4) 	 All funds allocated to a savings plan that are not expended by December 31 of each year shall revert to the Medicaid program.
	 (5) 	 The annual reassessment of a member’s needs must take into account the purchases of goods and services that substitute for human assistance. Adjustments shall be made to the services used to determine the individual budget based on the reassessment.
	  g.   	 Budget authority. The member shall have authority over the individual budget authorized by the department to perform the following tasks:
	 (1) 	 Contract with entities to provide services and supports as described in this subrule.
	 (2) 	 Determine the amount to be paid for services. Reimbursement rates shall be consistent with rates paid by others in the community for the same or substantially similar services. Reimbursement rates for the independent support broker and the financial management service are subject to the limits in 441—subrule 79.1(2).
	 (3) 	 Schedule the provision of services.
	 (4) 	 Authorize payment for optional service components identified in the individual budget.
	 (5) 	 Reallocate funds among services included in the budget. Every purchase of a good or service must be identified and approved in the individual budget before the purchase is made.
	  h.   	 Delegation of budget authority. The member may delegate responsibility for the individual budget to a representative in addition to the independent support broker.
	 (1) 	 The representative must be at least 18 years old.
	 (2) 	 The representative shall not be a current provider of service to the member.
	 (3) 	 The member shall sign a consent form that designates who the member has chosen as a representative and what responsibilities the representative shall have.
	 (4) 	 The representative shall not be paid for this service.
	  i.   	 Employer authority. The member shall have the authority to be the common-law employer of employees providing services and support under the consumer choices option. A common-law employer has the right to direct and control the performance of the services. The member may perform the following functions:
	 (1) 	 Recruit employees.
	 (2) 	 Select employees from a worker registry.
	 (3) 	 Verify employee qualifications.
	 (4) 	 Specify additional employee qualifications.
	 (5) 	 Determine employee duties.
	 (6) 	 Determine employee wages and benefits.
	 (7) 	 Schedule employees.
	 (8) 	 Train and supervise employees.
	  j.   	 Employment agreement. Any person employed by the member to provide services under the consumer choices option shall sign an employment agreement with the member that outlines the employee’s and member’s responsibilities.
	  k.   	 Responsibilities of the independent support broker. The independent support broker shall perform the following services as directed by the member or the member’s representative:
	 (1) 	 Assist the member with developing the member’s initial and subsequent individual budgets and with making any changes to the individual budget.
	 (2) 	 Have monthly contact with the member for the first four months of implementation of the initial individual budget and have quarterly contact thereafter.
	 (3) 	 Complete the required employment packet with the financial management service.
	 (4) 	 Assist with interviewing potential employees and entities providing services and supports if requested by the member.
	 (5) 	 Assist the member with determining whether a potential employee meets the qualifications necessary to perform the job.
	 (6) 	 Assist the member with obtaining a signed consent from a potential employee to conduct background checks if requested by the member.
	 (7) 	 Assist the member with negotiating with entities providing services and supports if requested by the member.
	 (8) 	 Assist the member with contracts and payment methods for services and supports if requested by the member.
	 (9) 	 Assist the member with developing an emergency backup plan. The emergency backup plan shall address any health and safety concerns.
	 (10) 	 Review expenditure reports from the financial management service to ensure that services and supports in the individual budget are being provided.
	 (11) 	 Document in writing on the independent support broker timecard every contact the broker has with the member. Contact documentation shall include information on the extent to which the member’s individual budget has addressed the member’s needs and the satisfaction of the member.
	  l.   	 Responsibilities of the financial management service. The financial management service shall perform all of the following services:
	 (1) 	 Receive Medicaid funds in an electronic transfer.
	 (2) 	 Process and pay invoices for approved goods and services included in the individual budget.
	 (3) 	 Enter the individual budget into the Web-based tracking system chosen by the department and enter expenditures as they are paid.
	 (4) 	 Provide real-time individual budget account balances for the member, the independent support broker, and the department, available at a minimum during normal business hours (9 a.m.	to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday).
	 (5) 	 Conduct criminal background checks on potential employees pursuant to 441—Chapter 119.
	 (6) 	 Verify for the member an employee’s citizenship or alien status.
	 (7) 	 Assist the member with fiscal and payroll-related responsibilities including, but not limited to:
	  1. 	 Verifying that hourly wages comply with federal and state labor rules.
	  2. 	 Collecting and processing timecards.
	  3. 	 Withholding, filing, and paying federal, state and local income taxes, Medicare and Social Security (FICA) taxes, and federal (FUTA) and state (SUTA) unemployment and disability insurance taxes, as applicable.
	  4. 	 Computing and processing other withholdings, as applicable.
	  5. 	 Processing all judgments, garnishments, tax levies, or other withholding on an employee’s pay as may be required by federal, state, or local laws.
	  6. 	 Preparing and issuing employee payroll checks.
	  7. 	 Preparing and disbursing IRS Forms W-2 and W-3 annually.
	  8. 	 Processing federal advance earned income tax credit for eligible employees.
	  9. 	 Refunding over-collected FICA, when appropriate.
	  10. 	 Refunding over-collected FUTA, when appropriate.
	 (8) 	 Assist the member in completing required federal, state, and local tax and insurance forms.
	 (9) 	 Establish and manage documents and files for the member and the member’s employees.
	 (10) 	 Monitor timecards, receipts, and invoices to ensure that they are consistent with the individual budget. Keep records of all timecards and invoices for each member for a total of five years.
	 (11) 	 Provide to the department, the independent support broker, and the member monthly and quarterly status reports that include a summary of expenditures paid and amount of budget unused.
	 (12) 	 Establish an accessible customer service system and a method of communication for the member and the independent support broker that includes alternative communication formats.
	 (13) 	 Establish a customer services complaint reporting system.
	 (14) 	 Develop a policy and procedures manual that is current with state and federal regulations and update as necessary.
	 (15) 	 Develop a business continuity plan in the case of emergencies and natural disasters.
	 (16) 	 Provide to the department an annual independent audit of the financial management service.
	 (17) 	 Assist in implementing the state’s quality management strategy related to the financial management service.
This rule is intended to implement Iowa Code section 249A.4.
[ARC 9045B, IAB 9/8/10, effective 11/1/10; ARC 9403B, IAB 3/9/11, effective 5/1/11]