Maine’s Office of Aging and Disability Services asked intellectual disability and autism providers on Oct. 2, 2026, to say whether they want to offer services under the state’s planned Lifespan HCBS waiver.
The request came in a MaineCare provider bulletin from the Department of Health and Human Services. OADS said its first priority is supporting future Lifespan providers after a 2025 Lifespan Provider Readiness project. The survey targets agencies that serve people age 14 or older who have intellectual disabilities or autism. Completing it does not commit an agency to deliver Lifespan services.
Deadline and purpose
The survey remains open through Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. OADS said it is gauging interest in particular services and collecting contacts for technical assistance, including Communities of Practice and training opportunities. Questions go to the OADS Lifespan Project (email on the bulletin).
Planned go-live
OADS’s Lifespan project page lists a go-live date of May 1, 2027, after Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services approval of the 1915(c) application and related authorities. The page notes draft 1915(c) and 1915(b)(4) selective-contracting submissions announced by the Office of MaineCare Services on April 14, 2026, and points providers to MaineCare’s rate-system reform materials for Lifespan reimbursement work that began with a rate study hearing in April 2025.
Why this matters for providers
Agencies that already support teens and adults with I/DD or autism in Maine have a short window to flag interest and get on OADS’s technical-assistance list before the May 2027 launch. Even providers that are unsure about joining should treat the survey as a way to receive updates on rates, contracting, and readiness supports rather than as a binding enrollment step.