GrandCare Blog

Kansas has expanded their Community Supports Waiver and creates a significant opportunity for technology-enabled support for Kansans with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD).

Starting October 1, 2026, Kansas will launch its updated Community Supports Waiver (CSW), creating a new Medicaid pathway for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) who need support to live more independently. For providers, one of the most important changes is the inclusion of Remote Support Services and Assistive Technology as covered waiver services.

This represents an important shift in how Kansas can support people in their homes and communities. Rather than relying exclusively on staff physically present in the home, providers can use technology and remote staff to deliver support when and where it is needed.

What changes on October 1?

The Community Supports Waiver takes effect October 1, 2026, following approval by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in July. The waiver covers Kansans age 5 and older in the I/DD community who meet institutional level-of-care requirements but do not need continuous, 24-hour support.

The new waiver includes:

• Remote Support Services
• Assistive Technology
• Home Telehealth
• Personal Emergency Response Systems
• Medication Reminder Services
• Life Skills
  Personal Care Services
• Respite
• Individual Employment Supports
• Home and Environmental Modifications
• Specialized Medical Equipment and Supplies
• Other services designed to promote independence and community living.

The waiver has an annual spending limit of $20,000 per participant. That limit applies across the participant’s CSW services, making thoughtful service planning and the effective use of technology particularly important for providers.

Remote Support is now a defined Medicaid service

One of the most significant changes is that Remote Support Services are explicitly included in the new waiver. This means that the cost for technology for remote supports, like the GrandCare Systems platform, can be paid for via Medicaid.

The concept is simple: remote supports technology can help staff and family move from being continuously present to being available when the individual actually needs support.

The GrandCare System can be used in homes Kansas describes the CSW as a program intended to make it easier for people to live independently at home and in their communities. Remote support can help make that possible by connecting individuals with support staff without requiring a staff member to be physically present at all times. This can also include sensors, communication devices and other tools that allow providers to understand when assistance is needed and respond remotely.

That can be particularly valuable for people who can safely spend portions of their day independently but still need access to support for specific situations, routines or unexpected needs.

Why this matters to I/DD providers

The change comes at a time when providers across the country are facing a difficult combination of workforce shortages, increasing costs and growing demand for services.

The Kansas CSW is specifically intended to provide “right-sized” supports for people who do not need 24-hour paid assistance. The state says the waiver is designed to increase independence, strengthen natural supports, promote competitive integrated employment and provide greater choice and control over services.

Remote support technology fits naturally into that model.

Instead of asking: “How many hours of staff do we need?”

Providers can begin asking: “How can we serve more individuals without increasing staffing and while keeping high-quality services?”

At GrandCare, we have partnered with I/DD providers to help enable them to provide a hybrid model of in-person and remote supports care. In most cases, For some individuals, the answer may still be in-person staffing. For others, it may be a hybrid of in-person and remote supports.

That distinction is important. Remote Supports is not intended to eliminate human support. Instead it can allow providers to deploy the right amount of human in-person support, more strategically.

The reimbursement opportunity is bigger than the technology

It is important to understand that Kansas is not simply adding a technology reimbursement line. The CSW establishes Remote Support Services as a covered service, while Assistive Technology is separately identified as a covered service. The state also lists both services among the benefits available under the waiver and means that providers should think about the opportunity as a new service-delivery model, not simply a way to purchase technology.

Technology can become part of a broader support strategy that may include:

• Remote staff responding to alerts or requests
• Two-way communications
• Sensors that identify potential changes or concerns
• Medication reminders
• Video communications
• Environmental awareness
• Prompts and reminders
• Support with daily routines
• Escalation to family, caregivers or in-person staff when appropriate

The goal is to match the level of support to the individual’s actual needs.

What does this mean for provider economics?

The $20,000 annual CSW cap per participant makes economics especially important. Since the waiver can be used in individuals homes or in a community setting, DSP agencies who utilize remote supports technology may be able to increase both the quality of care and the total number of clients they serve, without adding additional staff.

For every technology platform, the support model needs to demonstrate why the service is appropriate for the individual, how it supports the person’s goals and how it fits within the participant’s available budget.

For more information on how to determine if remote supports technology fits into the CSW, you can find the CSW Screener Tool Calculator for CDDO’s on the Kansas Department of Aging & Disability Services website.

Providers should prepare now

Although the waiver does not officially begin until October 1, Kansas is already preparing for implementation.

KDADS is conducting provider training, developing the new person-centered planning process and preparing providers for the CSW rollout. Remote Support Services have their own provider qualification category, and providers must meet Kansas requirements to participate.

In addition, Kansas has announced new provider specialties for the CSW beginning September 1, ahead of the October 1 policy effective date.

Providers considering remote support should be preparing now by:

1. Identifying individuals who may be appropriate for remote support.
2. Evaluating where technology could safely replace or reduce unnecessary in-person staff time.
3. Building remote support into person-centered service planning.
4. Understanding the distinction between Remote Support Services and Assistive Technology.
5. Developing clear escalation procedures for situations that require in-person intervention.
6. Training staff to deliver support remotely, rather than simply monitoring technology.
7. Tracking outcomes that demonstrate increased independence, safety, engagement and efficient use of staff resources.

What about Kansas’ aging population?

There is an important distinction for organizations serving older adults.

The October 1 change is specifically tied to the new Community Supports Waiver for people with I/DD. It is not a new October 1 remote-support reimbursement benefit for the Frail and Elderly waiver.

KDADS currently lists a draft Frail Elderly waiver amendment with a proposed effective date of January 1, 2027, separate from the October 1 CSW implementation.

A larger shift toward technology-enabled independence

The most important part of Kansas’ October 1 change may not be the creation of a new reimbursement category. It is the state’s recognition that people do not necessarily need a person physically beside them in order to receive meaningful support.

The Community Supports Waiver is built around a different approach: providing the right level of support for each person, helping people remain in their homes and communities, and giving individuals greater choice over how their services are delivered.

Remote support technology can make that approach possible at scale.

For I/DD providers, October 1 represents an opportunity to rethink traditional staffing models and begin building a more flexible combination of technology, remote staff, in-person staff and natural supports.

The result can be more than a different way to deliver services. It can give people more opportunities to live independently, develop skills and spend more of their day on their own terms.

Kansas is putting remote support into the Medicaid toolbox and creating an opportunity for providers to customize and expand their support offerings and bring the right support at the right time to more individuals in the I/DD community. At GrandCare, we are hopeful that more individuals can access the support that is right for them.