North Dakota Health and Human Services (HHS) is inviting public feedback on proposed changes to two Medicaid waivers aimed at expanding services for children. The amendments concern the state’s Medicaid autism spectrum disorder (ASD) waiver and the Medicaid waiver for medically fragile children, with federal approval being sought to align these waivers with recent state legislative updates. Comments will be accepted until July 27, 2025, at 5 p.m. CT.
The ASD waiver aims to provide services to eligible children and assist parents in maximizing their child’s development while preventing out-of-home placements. Proposed changes include raising the qualifying age from 17 to 20 years old, increasing available slots to 400 per year with 345 active simultaneously, and updating service language. Additionally, the North Dakota legislature has approved a provider rate increase of 2% in both 2025 and 2026 for service management (case management) and respite care.
For the Medicaid waiver targeting medically fragile children aged between three and eighteen, amendments propose extending eligibility up to age twenty-one and increasing available slots to seventy-five per year with fifty active at any time. The existing services under this waiver remain unchanged.
Draft versions of both waivers are accessible online at hhs.nd.gov/waivers or can be requested directly. Feedback can be submitted via email at dhsautism@nd.gov, by phone at either 800-755-2604 or 701-328-4630, through TTY at 711, by faxing 701-328-1544, or by mailing comments to North Dakota Health and Human Services Medical Services Division’s Autism Services department in Bismarck.
