CDAC changes January 1, 2026

LivingWorks Start – Enroll Today for Free Begin the Conversation On behalf of Iowa’s Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health, we are pleased to offer enrollment to LivingWorks Start at no cost to you. LivingWorks Start is a 90-minute online training that helps learners develop foundational skills to recognize when someone may be thinking of suicide and connect them to further help. Once you enroll, you have 60 days to complete, so we encourage you to get started with your learning as soon as you can! Steps to Enroll: 1. Click “Enroll Now” below to begin 2. Create LivingWorks Learn account 3. Proceed to the learning catalog via “Our Training” 4. Launce the course by clicking “LivingWorks Start” 5. Complete the course within 60 days   Enroll Now

Please contact iowa-cebh@uiowa.edu with any questions. To learn more about LivingWorks, Visit Living Works                          If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat online at 988lifeline.org.

Every three years the Iowa SILC reaches out for input from people around the state who have disabilities. This feedback is used to develop their Statewide Plan for Independent Living (SPIL). Please consider taking this survey.  For more information, visit Survey | Iowa SILC.

The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has released the updated Iowa Olmstead Plan, which provides a strategic framework to expand opportunities, improve service access, and enhance the quality of life for Iowans with disabilities.

The updated plan outlines how state agencies, local governments, and community organizations can work together to build a more coordinated and inclusive system of support. Through an emphasis on collaboration, the Olmstead Plan reaffirms Iowa’s commitment to ensuring that individuals with disabilities have the ability to live, work, and participate fully in their communities.

The plan identifies several Olmstead Progress Areas that guide this work, including strengthening community-based services, expanding independent living opportunities, improving access to housing and transportation, and supporting employment and wellness initiatives. These priorities reinforce Iowa’s dedication to advancing integration and promoting meaningful choice for individuals with disabilities.

You may access the plan and related materials using the links below:

2026 Iowa Olmstead Full Plan   

2026 Olmstead Plan Summary & Resource Documents

Olmstead Plan and Stakeholder Engagement | Health & Human Services

Several code changes took place on January 1, 2026 related to HCBS Waiver. Please see the Desk Resource HCBS Waiver Service code updates for more information.

NEI3A has developed a Medicare Open Enrollment toolkit! Please see the following links for various resources around Medicare and Medicare Open Enrollment: SHIP help, Medigap, Turning 65, and SHIP TA Center Facebook page.

Iowa Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) warns that advancements in AI and technology have made scammers increasingly dangerous, worsening the impact of Medicare fraud on older adults. Medicare open enrollment runs from October 15 through December 7, and scammers are actively targeting Medicare beneficiaries with fake plan offers, phishing texts, and impostor calls. Common scams are:

• “New Medicare Card” Offer: Scammers claim to call from Medicare offering a new plastic or chip-enabled Medicare card. FACT: Medicare cards do not expire and are not being replaced with plastic or chip-enabled cards. And Medicare does not provide cards with “special” benefits.
• Threats of Coverage Cancellation: Callers threaten to cancel benefits unless personal information or Medicare numbers are provided. FACT: Medicare representatives will never cold-call, text or email demanding personal details.
• “Too Good to Be True” Benefits: Advertisements or solicitors promising cash cards, free medical equipment, or dramatic coverage upgrades in exchange for your Medicare number. To review options or change your Medicare coverage, navigate directly to Medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) or visit our the SHIIP website.

To read more, go to Iowa Insurance Division Press Release.