HOW TO SWITCH APD WAIVER SERVICES

The iBudget Waiver allows flexibility 

THE IBUDGET WAIVER ALLOWS SOME FLEXIBILITY  that you can use to switch from one service to another.  For example if you are approved for one service but then you decide that you are not happy with the service, as per IBudget, you are provided the flexibility to switch the service to another service  and the funds can be transferred to the new service.

The information below came straight from page 2-95 of the 2020 IBUDGET HANDBOOK 

The iBudget Waiver allows flexibility to move funding within the following service families without prior approval from the Agency for Persons with Disabilities also known as APD:
life skills development
personal supports
supplies and equipment
dental
transportation
All service changes to flexible services must be in accordance with those preapproved flexible services currently approved in the recipient’s iBudget. 
If other flexible services are needed that are not currently preapproved, the WSC must contact the regional office for approval. 
The WSC can make these changes in the service authorizations as requested by the recipient or legal representative and can move funding from one quarter to the next or from a future quarter to the current quarter as needs change. The WSC can move unused units of a service from one quarter to the next quarter up to the end of the fiscal year depending on the needs of the recipient. For a change in service providers requested by the recipient or legal representative, the WSC must do the following: 
• Contact the outgoing service provider by phone prior to a change being made in order to reconcile what units have been provided but not yet billed. 
• Change the service authorization to reflect the number of units that are appropriate to be billed for the remainder of the service authorization period. The notice of change in service authorization should be given in advance and be for at least 15 days (unless mutually agreed upon for less time. Best practice would be for agreements to be in writing between the WSC and provider). 
• Contact the recipient or legal representative to verify the time frame of the change in a service provider. • Document in the "Notes" section of APD iConnect that the outgoing provider has been notified of the service authorization end date. 
• Ensure a new service authorization showing the end date of service and utilization approved for the time period that remains is available to the outgoing provider in APD iConnect. 
• If no services were ever provided or billed by the outgoing provider, an amended service plan must also be available to the former provider to ensure services are not provided. The new provider will obtain their service authorization from APD iConnect. Prior to the implementation of APD iConnect, the information shall be entered into the APD iBudget system, and the service authorization shall be sent to the provider by the WSC.