Developmental/Intellectual Disabilities

The GAO released a report to the Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means summarizing findings of a survey sent to State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIP) directors about the usability of the Medicare Plan Finder (MPF) website. The MPF website is a resource for comparing Medicare coverage options to help beneficiaries make informed decisions about their coverage. The report also includes other areas of improvement to make the website more user-friendly.

CMS released an informational bulletin that provides guidance regarding new constructions and the HCBS heightened scrutiny process. The 2014 Medicaid HCBS regulation’s settings regulation requires an in-depth assessment, called heightened scrutiny, for certain providers that are presumed to be institutional. This guidance provides clarification and flexibility to states, including an overview of three potential scenarios for how newly constructed settings could receive Federal funding

CMS has released a notice with information about the process for states to apply for a “good faith effort” (GFE) exemption, which provides up to one year of extra time to come into compliance with Electronic Visit Verification.

The National Academy of Social Insurance released a report on potential designs for universal family care. The report highlights state program design proposals for early child care and education, paid family and medical leave, and long-term services and supports. The LTSS section of the report proposes four design issues states may face in developing a social insurance program for LTSS.

The Leavitt Partners released a report reviewing the Medicaid non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) benefit, focusing on the program integrity of the benefit. . The report examines challenges and opportunities for Medicaid directors in improving Medicaid NEMT program integrity.

ACL, CMS, and the Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) have released a Q&A document to help grantees, stakeholders, and self-advocates better understand the Medicaid buy-in program. The Medicaid buy-in program includes Medicaid eligibility groups that serve workers with disabilities who are earning income and whom states may charge premiums as a condition of Medicaid eligibility.

This new report from ASPE and HUD examines the Support And Services at Home (SASH) program from 2010-2016. The SASH program uses affordable housing properties as a method for delivering services to older adults and individuals with disabilities living in Vermont. The study used a mixed-methods evaluation to examine the effects of the SASH program on health care utilization outcomes, Medicaid expenditures, and Medicare expansion.

This report looks at how states with strong MFP programs compare to states without or with limited MFP programs. Findings show that states with more robust MFP programs reduced utilization of institutional LTSS at a higher rate than other states. In addition, these states also rebalanced their LTSS systems more efficiently compared with other states.

This paper describes the roles of mobility managers and explores the benefits of focusing on the individual and their unique transportation challenges. The report highlights emerging innovations from five case studies and presents the results of a national survey and inventory of mobility managers. It also discusses the future role of mobility managers in long-term services and supports.

This report highlights Medicaid waiver policies that could result in many people losing coverage, even as states incur greater costs. This report offers a detailed assessment of emerging waiver trends, providing insights into its critical implications. The report also describes how examining the research literature and evaluations of programs that impose similar policies can provide guidance on predicting the coverage and cost impacts of emerging waivers on Medicaid beneficiaries and states.