BOISE — In order to avoid service interruption, parents of children with a developmental disability who receive services through Medicaid need to enroll in a new benefit system program by July 1, according to a news release.

    Beginning in 2009, the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare began redesigning children’s developmental disability services. At that time, Medicaid provided only two developmental disability services for children.

    Working with parents, advocates and legislators, a new set of benefits were developed to give children and families more choices, as well as improved outcomes. The original Medicaid benefit package for community developmental disabilities services for children will cease to exist on July 1.

    “Change is always hard, but it is absolutely crucial that parents and providers not delay any longer,” says Dave Simnitt, deputy administrator of the Idaho Medicaid Program. “We have heard positive responses about the new benefits from many parents who have completed the transition.”

    He continued: “But if parents don’t enroll now, there will not be enough time left to complete the process and maintain services. We want to do everything we can to help families avoid a disruption of services.”

     With legislative approval and stakeholder support, parents had two years to transition to the redesigned benefit package. To date, less than half of the 2,800 children currently receiving Medicaid-funded developmental disability services have completed the process. 

    The transition can take up to 90 days to complete.

     Parents who haven’t transitioned yet can call the Idaho CareLine at 2-1-1 for more information.