Deaf Blind with Multiple Disabilities (DBMD)

Service Description
This Medicaid waiver program provides home and community-based services to people who are Deaf Blind with Multiple Disabilities (DBMD) as a cost-effective alternative to ICF-MR/RC institutional placement. The DBMD program focuses on increasing opportunities for consumers to communicate and interact with their environment.

Funding Sources
Title XIX Medicaid 1915(c) Home and Community Based Services Waiver and State Funds

Covered Services
Services include:

• Adaptive Aids and Medical Supplies
• Assisted Living (licensed up to 6 beds)
• Behavioral Support Services
• Case Management
• Chore Provider
• Consumer Directed Services
• Environmental Accessibility
• Residential Habilitation
• Intervener
• Nursing Services
• Occupational Therapy
• Orientation and Mobility
• Physical Therapy
• Prescription Drugs, if not covered through Medicare
• Respite Care
• Speech, Hearing and Language Therapy
• Audiology
• Employment Assistance
• Supported Employment
• Dental Treatment
• Transition Assistance Services
• Dietary Services

The Consumer Directed Services (CDS) option allows participants who live in their own private residences or the home of a family member to choose to self-direct certain services. By choosing to self-direct these services, participants will assume and retain responsibility to:

• recruit their service providers;
• conduct criminal history checks;
• determine the competency of service providers; and
• hire, train, manage, and fire their service providers. The CDS option is available in the DBMD program for the following services: Respite (in- and out-of-home), Intervener, and Residential Habilitation.

Consumer Eligibility

• Income and Resources: The applicant must be Medicaid eligible in the community under:
  • SSI; or
  • Medical Assistance Only (MAO) protected status; or
  • Meet the income and resource requirements for Medicaid benefits in nursing facilities. ($2,022 per month with resources of $2,000 for an individual. Spousal impoverishment provisions apply.)

• Deafblindness: Have deafblindness or a related condition that will result in deafblindness with an additional disability resulting in a demonstrated need for one or more service on a monthly basis.
• Individual Plan of Care: The applicant’s individual plan of care cannot exceed $114,736.08.
• Informed Choice: Choose waiver services instead of institutional care based on an informed choice.
• Level-of-Care: Meet the institutional LOC criteria for ICF-MR/RC LOC VIII.

Service Maximum
There is an individual consumer cost limit based on 200% of the average cost of receiving services in an ICF-MR/RC facility, as of August 31, 2010.

Provider Base
Public and private agencies

Service Areas
Statewide availability. As this is a low incidence population, there are currently 41 counties in which individuals are currently served.