The Affidavit involves a Minnesota socialist welfare program, funded largely by Medicaid, called the “Integrated Community Supports” (ICS) program. It was a “waivered” program under Medicaid rules — as are several other Minnesota programs now being investigated. If approved, the waiver means states are allowed to deviate from standard Medicaid rules for covered “services” in order to deliver such services in more flexible and targeted ways.
These services have almost NOTHING to do with providing “medical care” for the poor as most believe Medicaid was intended to do.
States ask permission from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to “waive” certain Medicaid requirements for a program to be funded. If approved, the state can offer non-traditional services — not otherwise subject to reimbursement with Medicaid dollars — by limiting eligibility to specific groups and/or providing services in community settings rather than leaving the clients in institutions.
Waivers are designed to help keep people out of nursing homes or similar group- home arrangements or institutions, provide in-home care and and community-based services on a one-on-one basis with the care providers, be an experimental lab to test innovative alternative care models, and to control costs while maintaining or improving care.