Enrollment

Millions of low-income adults without children who currently cannot qualify for coverage, as well as many low-income parents and children now covered through the CHIP program will become eligible for Medicaid. These programs are expected to cover an additional 16 million people by 2019. This brief provides the details of the benefit and cost-sharing rules that will govern the coverage available to newly-eligible adult Medicaid beneficiaries.

Innovative applications of technology in Medicaid are highlighted in this series of profiles from varying states. Louisiana, a pioneer in using “Express Lane Eligibility” (ELE) is examined in this report. ELE allows Medicaid and CHIP agencies to use eligibility findings from other public programs to identify, enroll, and recertify participants. Despite a 12% reduction in the Medicaid workforce over the last two years, the volume and quality of service has remained consistent.

First in a series, this brief presents findings from AoA’s National Survey of Older Americans Act Program Participants. Findings indicated that Title III participants were at a higher risk of entering a nursing home compared to others in their age group. The authors conclude that AoA, however, is effectively reaching those most at risk of institutionalization, and that Title III services play an important role in helping elderly adults remain living independently in the community.

Ten grants were awarded to states to develop a profile of the publicly funded LTC system and to assist CMS to develop national benchmarks that will be used to measure the degree and success of states' efforts to offer community based LTC services. Review Michigan’s report which focuses on the priority population of the elderly and adults with physical disabilities, but also includes systems that serve adults with developmental disabilities, adults with mental illness and children.

The Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging sponsored PPAR’s Winter/Spring 2010 issue. It includes seven articles written by national experts describing recent and notable changes in LTC policy, with its increasing emphasis on HCBS services. An introductory essay provides a 30-year review of the evolutionary process of LTC. Consumer-directed initiatives, caregiver and workforce issues, maturation of the service delivery system, and a review of recent state-level initiatives are discussed.

Explore the use of social marketing principles to enhance enrollment in the C&C Demonstration and Evaluation (CCDE). In this study, focus groups were conducted in Arkansas and Florida. Several lessons emerged from the findings including the importance of conducting process evaluation activities early during program implementation, carefully selecting and training personnel to conduct outreach and enrollment activities, and developing specific messages to include in marketing the cash option.

Predictors of service use was examined among four in-home and two community-based services. Results showed that race did not have a significant effect on service use, but gender had a significant effect for some services. The results indicated the importance of social supports and structural factors in predicting use. Implications for policies and practice to improve community outreach, access and utilization of services by different racial groups of elders are discussed.

Read about the implementation of the Workforce Inclusion Act of 2002 in CA. This study examined the use of In Home Supportive Services (IHSS) in the workplace and barriers to its use. Information was collected on the impact of state budget cuts and program changes made for fiscal year 2009-10. A policy recommendation was made to modify IHSS by giving consumers more flexibility in using their IHSS hours with less task-specificity, and increasing consumer-direction of their authorized hours.

Since the inception of the HCBS waivers, Minnesota has experienced an increased demand to provide services to individuals living in the community. Review a report on county and state use of available resources for the following waiver programs in MN: Community Alternative Care (CAC), Community Alternatives for Disabled Individuals (CADI), Developmental Disabilities (DD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Overviews of each waiver are provided as well as enrollment and expenditure data.

Are MIGs assisting individuals with disabilities to become employed? An annual GPRA report has been produced since 2007. This report builds on previous work, and shows the continued impact of MIG funding in 2008 on programs and services that facilitate employment among individuals with disabilities. As the MIG program approaches the end of its authorized period, many states are committing to evaluating the programs, documenting their impacts, and sustaining the efforts beyond 2011.