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MRG

UPDATED: NOVEMBER 2009 725

OTHER ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS WAIVERS

BRIDGES TO HEALTH (B2H)

Description: Effective January 1, 2008, the federal government authorized the Bridges to Health (B2H) Waiver. The B2H is a federal Home and Community Based (HCBS) Medicaid waiver for children in foster care up to 21 years of age.

B2H provides community based services to children who are in the care and custody of a local department of social services (LDSS) or the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) and who have significant mental health care needs, developmental disabilities or medical fragility and who require an institutional level of care.

B2H is administered as three separate targeted 1915(c) Medicaid waivers providing Medicaid State Plan services, and the following waiver services: Health Care Integration, Skill building, Family care giver supports and services, Day habilitation, Prevocational services, Supported employment, Planned respite, Special needs community advocacy and support, Crisis avoidance, management and training, Immediate crisis response services, Intensive in-home supports crisis respite, Accessibility modifications and Adaptive and Assistive equipment.

Policy: Children must be in foster care and categorically eligible for Medicaid to be considered for enrollment in the B2H waivers. B2H participants who are discharged from foster care may remain in the B2H waiver if they meet the waiver and Medicaid eligibility criteria.

References: ADMs 08 OLTC/001

Interpretation: Health Care Integration Agencies (HCIA’s) are voluntary child care agencies responsible for the operational and administrative functions of the B2H waivers. The Waiver Service Provider (WSP) networks operate throughout the State to ensure the delivery of comparable B2H services regardless of the location of a child’s residence. The existing OCFS regions form the basis for the B2H regional designations. The B2H and OCFS regional designations are identical, with one exception: OCFS Region V is divided into the Lower Hudson Valley and Long Island B2H regions. Please refer to OCFS’s website, www.ocfs.state.ny.us/main/b2h/ for specific information regarding the OCFS and B2H regions.

A B2H participant who has been discharged from foster care will have her/his Medicaid eligibility determined based on a household of one, and her/his own income and resources will be compared to the