Children's HCBS Referral & Authorization Portal: Short Form Connection

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

  • FAQs also available in Portable Document Format (PDF)

This document summarizes frequently asked questions related to the Children's Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Referral & Authorization Portal's temporary Short Form Connection process within the Incident Reporting and Management System (IRAMS).

This FAQ document is meant to serve as a resource alongside the Short Form Connection Process Guide and Webinar Slides. The Referral & Authorization Portal User Guide and FAQ are also available resources for users.

Note: If technical issues persist, please contact the Health Home BML with a subject line of "IRAMS Questions only – No PHI".

Table of Contents

Short Form Connection Resources
Eligibility for Connections
Short Form Connection Process
System Notifications
System Questions

Category Question Answer
Short Form Connection Resources Is there a certification for the Short Form Connection Process Webinar? No, there is no certif icate of completion for this webinar; it's an informative webinar on a new system process, not a formal training.
Eligibility for Connections If the child/youth has Family of One Medicaid and Health Home Care Management (HHCM) is their ONLY service, HHCM should not create a Connection, correct? Correct, only HCBS children/youth who are currently receiving an HCB Service need to complete a Connection.

Children/youth who have Family of One Medicaid and only receiving HHCM will not be entered in the Referral & Authorization Portal because a specific HCBS service is not being requested. If the Family of One child/youth needs an HCBS, a referral will need to be created through the Portal.
May HCBS continue if the child/youth was found ineligible at their last Level of Care (LOC)/eligibility assessment and is waiting for a fair hearing? Can Connections be made in this case? If the member has a pending fair hearing and continued aid, HCBS can continue to be provided until a decision is made. Therefore, a Connection should be made for member to verify service delivery.
Can a Connection be made if the referral was made prior to June 17, 2024, but the child/youth was not actively receiving the service until July? Yes, if the referral was sent outside of the Referral & Authorization Portal prior to June 17 th , and the child/youth is receiving an HCBS from an HCBS providers, then a Connection for this child/youth and their service should be made in the system.
Do HHCM/C-YES need to complete the Short Form Connection process if they have already sent the full referral in the Portal to the HCBS provider? No, Connections are not for children/youth who have had a referral made in the Portal. If the HHCM/C-YES sent a full referral through the Portal for child/youth already receiving HCBS since its launch on June 17, 2024, then a Connection is not needed.
Can HHCM/C-YES make a Connection if they have made a paper referral since June 17, 2024? Paper referrals are no longer permitted since June 17, 2024. HCBS providers should not accept paper referrals.

All HCBS Referrals and Connections must be processed through the HCBS Referral and Authorization Portal in IRAMS. If a referral was made on paper on or after June 17, 2024, that referral must be completed again in the Portal and send to the appropriate provider(s).
If a member was not recertified for HCBS before June 17, 2024, how can HHCM/C-YES add a Connection request? A participant must have an active LOC, recently expired LOC (within last 6 months), or a pending Fair Hearing request in place, in order to complete a Connection in the system.

Participants without an active LOC or pending Fair Hearing with Aid Continuing are not eligible to receive HCBS, and therefore would not be appropriate for a Connection.
Short Form Connection Process Is this Short Form Connection process live? Short Form Connections are live in the Referral & Authorization Portal as of July 24, 2024.
What is the deadline to create these Connections? HHCM/C-YES should be able to enter the children/youth already receiving services into the Referral & Authorization Portal in about a month. A specific due date will be given by DOH once there is an evaluation of how quickly Connections are being entered.
Can supervisors complete the Connection process on behalf of HHCM/C-YES? Yes, supervisors or other appropriate individuals at the organization can complete the Short Form Connection, if they are connected to HCS and the Referral and Authorization Portal.
If HHCM/C-YES are not receiving the emails from IRAMS, where can they see the Connection request response in IRAMS? Once a Connection is accepted, the HHCM/C-YES can see the service listed as "Active" in the system. The Daily Digest email has been updated to contain recent Connections and discharges.

If still not receiving the notifications, check the settings as these notices can be turned off.
If an HHCM/C-YES is not completing the Short Form Connection in a timely fashion, can the HCBS providers reach out to them to complete it? HHCM/C-YES should be working on submitting all needed Connection Requests in the next few weeks. If HCBS providers are not receiving connection requests for all applicable children/youth, they should connect with the child/youth's HHCM/C-YES for additional information.
If a participant's HCBS services were discontinued, and the HHCM/C-YES made a referral with a new agency however those services have not started yet, how does the HHCM/C- YES enter the child/youth, through a Connection or full referral? If a new, full referral has already been made for the child/youth in the system, no further action is needed.

A Connection Request is only needed for children/youth who were actively receiving HCBS prior to June 17, 2024, who continue to receive the same service(s) from the same agency.
If an HHCM/C-YES has a child/youth who is actively receiving some services, but wants to add a new additional service, does a full referral need to be created? A Connection Request can be submitted for the already existing services ONLY. The new service will need to be submitted as a full Referral Request.

Each service needs it own full Referral or Connection.
What should an HCBS provider do if they receive referrals for children/youth who they are already working with? HCBS providers will be receiving Connection Requests in the system for children/youth they are currently serving. The purpose of these Connection Requests is to verify current service delivery/enrollment and document this connection in the system. Once the Connection is established, no additional Connection/Referral Requests should be issued unless a change (i.e., new service, new provider, etc.) is needed.

If an HCBS provider receives a full referral for a child they are currently serving, the HCBS provider can accept the referral, even though the CM completed the wrong process.
How should a Connection be completed if a child/youth has been receiving HCBS but the HCBS provider staff are no longer available to provide the service? The HCBS provider must discuss this with the CM. If the HCBS provider will be providing services soon, the Connection process can be utilized. Otherwise, the CM should treat the child as they are not receiving services and complete a full referral to submit electronically to HCBS providers, including the provider who was previously serving the child.
Does the provider need to change the status in IRAMS if they are moving the child/youth to a waitlist? If a provider has accepted a Connection, but can no longer serve the member, they should discharge the child/youth from the system. The HHCM/C-YES will receive an alert of the discharge and can complete the full referral and send it back to this provider to put on the waitlist.

There is no way to waitlist from a Connection.
Should HHCM/C-YES only add a child/youth once an LOC is complete or when the Licensed Practitioner of the Healing Arts (LPHA) Attestation form is completed? A child/youth is available within the portal once their LOC is f inalized, and the child is found eligible. After the CM has discussed services and potential providers with the child/family, then a full Referral within the system can be conducted. As a Connection Request should be made in the system for any child/youth who was actively receiving HCBS prior to June 17, 2024 who still continues to receive the same service from the same agency.
Can a Connection be made if the family chooses to change HCBS agencies their child/youth is being served under? If a child/youth is seeking to receive services from a new organization, a complete Referral is needed. Connection Requests are only for children/youth who were actively receiving HCBS prior to June 17, 2024, who still continue to receive the same service(s) from the same agency.
System Notifications Will the HHCM/C-YES be notified by email about acceptance or denials for each Connection? The HHCM/C-YES will be notified if an HCBS provider declines the Connection, but they will not receive an email about accepted Connections. HHCM/C-YES will be able to see accepted Connections in their Daily Digest email. The Connection status will also be viewable in the system by search.
What should users do if they are not receiving notices for IRAMS to determine whether HCBS providers have responded to Referrals or Connections? IRAMS users with access to referrals should be getting an HCBS Daily Digest email. That email has links to children that have selections available or need a response to a referral. Users may toggle preferences for certain topics of emails on or off within the User Profile page.

HHCM/C-YES will receive notification of declined Connections via email immediately and will be alerted of accepted Connections in the Daily Digest on the day following the Connection acceptance.
System Questions Is the HHCM/C-YES able to add their name as the Connection contact person? Currently the HHCM/C-YES staff member who has created the Connection in the system appears on the Connection as the contact.

An update later in August 2024 will allow Connections and full Referrals to capture HHCM/C-YES information regardless of the staff member entering the Connection in the system.
Where can HCBS providers see the Connection request? Within the HCBS service tab, HCBS providers can click "View Latest Referral" and can "Accept" or "Decline" a Short Form Connection request. HCBS providers will receive an email notification when they receive a new connection request.
What should HHCM/C-YES or HCBS providers do if they are having issues with the system? Any questions users have about the system can be directed to the Health Home BML with a subject line of "IRAMS Questions only – No PHI".