Today's deep dive: New York OPWDD revises self-direction goods and services rules, covering the seven payment tests, $10 billing units, a new request form and fixed decision deadlines.
Also today
Virginia voters approve Question 3, changing the guardianship voting rule. The constitutional amendment passed on Nov. 3. Starting Jan. 1, 2027, a court must find that a person lacks the capacity to understand the act of voting before they can be barred from voting on mental-capacity grounds. The amendment also restores voting rights to people with felony convictions when they are released. Our Oct. 20 explainer covers what it means for people under guardianship. Source: VPM (Nov. 3); 13News Now (Nov. 3).
ACL awards $12.7 million in Lifespan Respite grants to 10 states. The Administration for Community Living announced 10 new three-year grants totaling $12,657,503 to build state respite systems for family caregivers. Recipients are agencies in Colorado, Delaware, Idaho, Kentucky, Montana, New York, North Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin. Source: Administration for Community Living (Nov. 3).
Michigan home care agency settles EEOC race case over client assignments. Mid-Michigan Home Health & Hospice will pay $41,137 to a fired employee under a five-year consent decree. The EEOC said a Black CNA was sent to Grand Blanc clients far less often than white co-workers because of clients' racial preferences, and was fired within 48 hours of complaining. The company must report each year on discrimination complaints and where each aide was assigned. EEOC regional attorney Kenneth Bird said the settlement puts practices in place "to ensure home assignments are not based on race, regardless of customer preference." Source: U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (Nov. 3).
KFF updates its tracker on Medicaid work requirements. The 2025 reconciliation law requires 44 states, counting D.C., to apply work requirements to Medicaid expansion adults and some 1115 waiver enrollees starting Jan. 1, 2027. KFF's tracker now follows state plans and policies, county unemployment data, and enrollment and renewal data. Source: KFF (Nov. 3).
Civil rights oversight cuts raise concerns for autistic students. A KFF Health News report, published by Disability Scoop, says the Education Department's Office for Civil Rights closed seven of its 12 regional offices, and that special education oversight largely moved to HHS this June. The story cites a report by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., finding a backlog of nearly 12,000 civil rights cases. Source: Disability Scoop (Nov. 3).