Developmental/Intellectual Disabilities

This memorandum presents state-by-state data on Medicaid long term care expenditures in Federal Fiscal Year 2004 (October 2003 through September 2004). The accompanying tables present data on Medicaid Expenditures for Long-Term Care services from 1992 to 2004. A new table this year shows the effect of supplemental nursing facility payments in some states on expenditure data. A separate file ranks states based on the proportion of LTC spending for community services.

The West Virginia Inclusion Campaign was created as an initiative to counteract the effects of social bias and discrimination against people with disabilities or people living with long-term illnesses. Part of the project has been to develop outreach materials. Please review their program brochure, Disability Awareness Guide and Reporter’s Guide.

The Children with Special Health Care Needs programs of Nevada assists children with special needs and their families through a variety of health and support services. The Real Choice Systems Change Project has partnered with the Nevada Broadcasters Association to air the various media information on Nevada's television and radio stations. They also host a website with links to support, advocacy, assistance and education.

This ILRU publication addresses common myths about abuse against people with disabilities by personal assistance providers and family members. The newsletter also addresses the personal barriers to stopping abuse and violence. This issue is Vol. 3, Issue 1.

Surveying Maryland’s 3,180 dual eligibles who are enrolled in hcbs waiver programs, the author finds that the end-of-2005 transfer of prescription drug coverage from Medicaid to Medicare under the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 could put these beneficiaries in jeopardy. The experience in MD is likely to be typical for other states. The paper recommends a number of federal policy remedies, including 90-day prescriptions, using open or shared formularies, & lengthening the enrollment period.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) invite proposals for grants in three categories: a. Family-to-Family Health Care Information and Education Centers b. Systems Transformation Grants c. Aging & Disability Resource Centers. In FY 05, during the consolidated appropriations process, Congress appropriated $39 million to fund a new round of RCSC grants. States and other eligible organizations, in partnership with their disability & aging communities, may submit proposals until 7/7/05.

For older adults and individuals with disabilities, some website designs can pose access problems. Users may be unable to use a website’s navigational menu, fill out online forms, or even access content. Addressing accessibility issues is important. This brief addresses the adaptation of standard website construction techniques to meet the needs of the target populations. It includes considerations & strategies for design that are informative, functional and useful for these populations.

This guidebook is written to provide information about Minnesota’s Personal Care Assistance (PCA) program and the many options consumers have. The state strives for a consumer directed service model. Sections in this guidebook define services, help consumers develop skills and provide resources to help take more control of the important services that allow independent living. This guidebook is current as of September 2004.

A survey in West Virginia was conducted in February-March of 2005 regarding: 1. Hospice programs that serve adults with developmental disabilities (DD) 2. training and educational materials for hospice staff on caring for people with DD 3. information about hospice end-of-life care developed for service provider staff and families. The national information gathering activity was initiated by the Association of University Centers on Developmental Disabilities. This report reviews the results.

The Formative Evaluation of the Real Choice Systems Change Grants evaluates how the Systems Change grantees are progressing towards meeting their goals. The Formative Evaluation identifies problems faced by the grantees and ways that they deal with the problems. This document provides summary information about each of the FY2004 Grantees.