Arizona Long Term Care System
PAS Screening Tool and Reasonable Accommodations
What is the PAS screening tool?
PAS stands for preadmission screening. The PAS assessment is a screening tool used to determine whether an applicant is medically eligible for services from the Arizona Long Term Care System (ALTCS). ALTCS is the State of Arizona’s Medicaid program that provides long term care services. The PAS assessor will ask the individual, or their representative, a series of questions, and by the end of the assessment, the PAS assessor will provide a final score, which will be used to determine medical eligibility for ALTCS.
How were PAS assessments originally conducted?
Traditionally, a PAS assessment was conducted in-person. This allowed the PAS assessor to make visual observations about an applicant’s functional limitations. However, the COVID-19 pandemic forced ALTCS to conduct assessments telephonically. After the COVID-19 public health emergency was declared over, the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), noting the flexibility telephonic assessments provided, changed their regulations, removing the requirement for in-person assessments.
What are reasonable accommodations?
Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) states that public entities, like AHCCCS/ALTCS, must grant a reasonable accommodation request, unless an exception applies. A reasonable accommodation is a change in policies, practices, or procedures, that will allow an individual with a disability an opportunity to have access to a public entity’s services, programs, and activities. An example of a reasonable accommodation is requesting an in-person PAS assessment.
Should I make a reasonable accommodation request?
Your PAS assessment will likely be conducted telephonically unless you make a reasonable accommodation request. An in-person PAS assessment may allow the PAS assessor to view your functional limitations first-hand, and to understand the full extent of your functional limitations.
You can request a reasonable accommodation from your PAS assessor by emailing or calling them. You can state that you are making a reasonable accommodation request under the ADA. You can also use the DRAZ template letter, and copy the Department of Economic Security ADA Coordinator. We recommend making reasonable accommodation requests in writing, but it is not required.
