<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<section article="ghg" article_name="Health - General" number="15-1204" title_number="15" title_name="Assistance Programs" subtitle_number="12" subtitle_name="Maryland Interested Parties Advisory Group">
  <level label="a">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The Department shall establish standardized procedures for the administration of the Advisory Group and make the procedures available to the public on a dedicated page of the Department’s website.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The dedicated page on the Department’s website shall also include:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>A list of current Advisory Group members;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>The application process and selection criteria for Advisory Group members;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>The location, date, and time of each Advisory Group meeting with at least 30 calendar days’ advance notice;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>Options for virtual participation in meetings of the Advisory Group;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="v">
        <text>Procedures to ensure meaningful participation for individuals with disabilities and limited English proficiency;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="vi">
        <text>A notation of at which meetings the general public will have an opportunity to testify or make comments; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="vii">
        <text>In accordance with the Open Meetings Act, the agenda and meeting minutes of the previous meeting of the Advisory Group, including a list of meeting attendees.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>The Department shall provide sufficient data and resources at least 30 days in advance of a meeting to support informed participation in Advisory Group discussions, including:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>Current and proposed payment rates;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Federally required information, including:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Home– and community–based services payment transparency reports;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Payment adequacy reports as required under 42 C.F.R. § 441.311(e); and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>Access–to–care data, as required under 42 C.F.R. § 441.311(d)(2);</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>Bureau of Labor Statistics publicly available wage data and other labor market and workforce data;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>Benchmarking and rate studies for home– and community–based services conducted by the Department;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>Rate information from neighboring or similarly situated states; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="6">
      <text>Access–to–care metrics, including:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>The number of consumers receiving applicable services; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>The number of utilization hours for applicable service categories.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
