Although Self-Direction has been around since the late 1960s and early 1970s, it has become more and more popular in recent years. As the person-centered philosophy has evolved and grown, the commitment to empowering individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to have control over the decisions made for the services and supports they receive has only strengthened.
Self-Direction Services enables personal choice as it puts the individual in the driver’s seat of their Care Management Plan with a focus on person-centered planning and self-determination. Services chosen via the Service Coordination Plan are customized for supports that best meet their needs as well as their personal interests as no two individuals are the same.
One of the key distinctions within a Self-Direction program is the management or co-management of their federal and state Medicaid dollars which are funded under a federal waiver – typically 1915 (c) or (j) budget and the ability to hire staff. The person is in control of managing their staff, what services are most important to them, the supports that will help them achieve their goals, the budget to fund their services, and a schedule that is convenient for their lifestyle. To put it simply, they have the supports and services they value which allows them to live the life they envisioned.
Individuals in Self-Direction programs often still work with a provider agency to aid in the process. Provider agencies that offer Self-Directed support can range in activities from solely being the provider of the support services all the way through broker and fiscal intermediaries staffing. Brokers work with a care manager/coordinator who ensures that the needs and goals of the individual are reflected in the plan and budget, and that the individual is connected with the appropriate community resources. Fiscal intermediaries administer the budget and oversee payroll and employer documentation, human resource responsibilities, and documentation for the payer.
MediSked’s Professional Services team can provide consulting, project management, training, and configuration assistance for a Self-Direction program, including Individual Goods and Services, Fiscal Intermediary and Broker services, and implementation of the MediSked Portal. MediSked Connect with the Self-Direction package offers tools for each point of contact to enable the successful management of Self-Direction Services. When you combine MediSked Connect with the MediSked Portal, provider agencies integrate a platform known for optimizing person-centered technologies with a person-facing web portal, making an effective solution to manage Self-Direction services from every perspective in the process. MediSked Connect offers the ability to link Self-Direction budgets with Electronic Visit Verification (EVV), submit HIPAA Compliant electronic billing, retrieve electronic remittances with Medicaid, and make real-time transactions in a single system with reports available at intervals you select.
MediSked Portal is designed for people to view and approve their service notes, review the real-time status of their budget, and communicate with their Direct Support Staff and providers, all in one convenient place. The Portal communicates directly with an agency’s Connect platform to update instantaneously, keeping all parties up to date.
If you’re interested in learning more about MediSked Connect’s Self-Direction solutions, email sales@medisked.com today!
