ArSHA DDD AAC Update

The following information is brought to us by our ArSHA AAC Committee.

On January 16th, the Arizona Center for Disability Law (ACDL) and Arizona Center for Law in the Public Interest (ACLPI), sent communication to the Department of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) and AHCCCS citing their concerns about Arizona’s AAC evaluation and training program funded through Medicaid. Concerns included significant service delays dating back to July 2019 for: AAC evaluations/ training, device repair requests, and denial of services.

On January 24th, AHCCCS and DDD released a statement responding to concerns from ACDL and ACLPI, specifying they are addressing AAC related issues with DDD members’ families by the end of February in compliance with federal and state guidelines.

For more information, you can view both original correspondence here:
Link to demand letter w exhibits
Link to demand letter response

If you have clients who have questions or concerns during this transition, they are encouraged to contact their support coordinator and call the Aug Comm Unit Customer Service number at 844-770-9500. They may also choose to contact ACDL to share their story at:
ACDL Phoenix ACDL Tucson Location
(602) 274-6287 (520) 327-9547
(800) 927-2260 (Toll Free) (800) 922-1447 (Toll Free)

ArSHA will continue to provide updates including what proactive measures you can take to assist families while this transition takes place. Once DDD publishes their new AAC guidelines, ArSHA plans to release a ‘helpful tips’ handout for completing an Augmentative Alternative Communication Referral (AACR Form 1151A). Please continue to follow ArSHA for updated information.