W.Va. Health Dept.: Aged and Disabled Waiver Program Offers Alternative Care

CHARLESTON, West Virginia, Sept. 22 -- The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources issued the following news release:

The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR), Bureau for Medical Services is offering to assist individuals receiving Medicaid who are currently living in nursing homes and those considering placement in nursing homes for home and community-based alternatives through the Aged and Disabled Waiver (ADW) program.

The ADW program is an established alternative to nursing home care where waiver members receive services in their own homes and the local community. This allows members greater independence and increased choices compared to nursing home services. The program gives members the option of self-directing their services, which offers members greater choice and control over the services they receive.

"COVID-19 has impacted nursing home residents perhaps more than other sector of West Virginia's population," said Cindy Beane, Commissioner of DHHR's Bureau for Medical Services. "This alternative through the Aged and Disabled Waiver program is a good option for those who wish to remain in the comfort of their own homes and with their families."

In Fiscal Year 2018, the average annual Medicaid cost to serve an individual in a nursing home was $80,000 compared to an average annual cost of $23,000 for an Aged and Disabled Waiver program member. West Virginia currently has 7,026 Waiver slots and 10,456 Medicaid-funded nursing home beds.

DHHR's Bureau for Medical Services will use funding made available through the federal CARES Act to expand access to the Aged and Disabled Waiver program. With the discretion of the West Virginia Legislature and the Governor, the program will utilize $6 million in reserve funding for Fiscal Year 2022 to fund 646 additional ADW slots. This $6 million investment qualifies for a $17 million federal match through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.