self-direction

A recent report from Long-Term Quality Alliance (LTQA) and the Community Living Policy Center (CLPC) at Brandeis University highlights recommendations to inform future research, policy, and practice that aim to advance efforts to improve standardized data collection and reporting, to better understand the impacts of direct-care workforce shortages, and to drive critical investments in the direct-care workforce. To inform this exploratory study, LTQA and CLPC conducted six focus groups and four key informant interviews with managed-LTSS health plans, home-care providers, self-direction experts, fiscal intermediaries, state-association representatives, and other policy experts and advocates...

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued a final rule revising previous guidance on how to determine whether a worker is an employee or independent contractor under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The rule will take effect March 11. Determinations about who is an employee or independent contractor can have a big impact on direct care workers, and this revision will help to protect employees’ rights and ensure they benefit from protections under federal labor laws. The new final rule rescinds the 2021 Independent Contractor Rule and returns to longstanding DOL interpretation that is consistent with caselaw of how to determine whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor...

Applied Self-Direction is accepting session proposals for the 2023 Self-Direction Conference: Virtual Series happening this spring. Sessions should focus on best practices and innovations related to self-direction and include a range of perspectives including state program staff, people and families who self-direct, Financial Management Services providers, support brokers, and policymakers.

This brief shares data on state policy choices about Medicaid HCBS, including target populations, functional eligibility criteria, financial eligibility criteria, waiver waiting lists, benefit packages, out-of-pocket costs, use of capitated managed care, self-direction opportunities, covered provider types, electronic visit verification systems, and provider reimbursement rates.

This brief outlines successful EVV implementation in self-direction. Successful implementation is defined as one that protects and upholds the participant's choice and control over their services and supports while strengthening program integrity. The brief describes the functionality required to support self-direction, including flexible scheduling, protocols for EVV system use in areas without internet access, and workflows that support participant control of workers' hours.

This report from AARP's Public Policy Institute is part of a series of papers focusing on innovative strategies. It explores the benefits of self-directed care and looks at best practices used in Texas, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Florida. The report also provides a toolkit for educational and training purposes to help states improve and expand upon their self-directed LTSS programs.

Review the progress by the 42 MFP grantee states (including the District of Columbia) that are actively transitioning MFP participants. MFP grants support state efforts to help individuals living in institutions move to home and community-based settings if that is where they wish to receive LTSS. During the second half of 2013, states transitioned 5,485 new enrollees, bringing the total number of people that had ever transitioned to the community through MFP to 40,693 at the close of 2013.