LAC 50:VII.30303. General Admission and Funding

A. Capacity. The ICF/MR will admit only the number of individuals that does not exceed its rated capacity as determined by the BHSF's HSS and its capacity to provide adequate programming. B. Admission Requirements. Except on a short term emergency basis, an ICF/MR may not admit individuals as clients unless their needs can be met and an interdisciplinary professional team has determined that admission is the best available plan for them. The team must do the following: 1. conduct a comprehensive evaluation of each individual that covers physical, emotional, social and cognitive factors; and 2. perform the following tasks prior to admission: a. define the individual's need for service without regard to the availability of those services; and b. review all appropriate programs of care, treatment, and training and record the findings; 3. ensure that the ICF/MR takes the following action if admission is not the best plan but the individual must nevertheless be admitted: a. clearly acknowledges that admission is inappropriate; and b. initiates plans to actively explore alternatives. C. Prohibitions on Federal Financial Participation 1. Federal funds in the Title XIX ICF/MR program are not available for clients whose individual treatment plans are totally or predominately vocational and/or educational. ICF/MR services are designed essentially for those individuals diagnosed as developmentally disabled; having developmental lags which are considered amendable to treatment in a 24-hour managed care environment where they will achieve maximum growth. Services to treat educational and vocational deficits are available at the community level while the client lives in his home or in another community level placement and are not considered amendable to treatment in a 24-hour managed care environment. 2. Admissions through the Court System a. Court ordered admissions do not guarantee Medicaid vendor payment to a facility. A court can order that a client be placed in a particular facility but cannot mandate that the services be paid for by the Medicaid program. b. Incarcerated individuals are not eligible for Medicaid. The only instance in which such an individual may qualify is if he/she is paroled or released on medical furlough.