Money Follows the Person

March 2-4, 2009 state program staff, CMS staff, and technical assistance providers met in Baltimore to discuss Money Follows the Person and other strategies for helping people move out of nursing homes. Speakers presented on topics ranging from service integration, housing finance strategies, mentoring, quality, and many others.

Program administrators, advocates, and researchers advise the Senate on ways to improve wellbeing and cost outcomes of long-term care by increasing access to HCBS. They speak on national demographics, successful HCBS programs of the past and present, state programs in Wisconsin and Florida, integrating acute and long-term care for dual eligibles, and program finance models. See “Video Contents Index” for time stamps and information on each testimony.

View the forum session presentations to learn how Arkansas, Texas, and Virginia have created consumer-directed options. They discuss demographics, program details and histories, costs, challenges, and the future. The final presentation goes over Money Follows the Person and Cash and Counseling from the federal level, examining policy, demographics, and outcomes.

The presenters relate information and an Illinois case study on this affordable housing funding strategy. TBRA is tied directly to a MFP recipient’s income level, thereby overcoming limitations of other strategies such as development subsidies and Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8). Similar to a voucher, TBRA covers the gab between fair market rent and a percentage of a recipient’s income.

First given during a teleconference for Money Follows the Person (MFP) grantees, this presentation reviews the current housing market and challenges to creating new affordable, accessible, and integrated housing units. Also provided is a case study from Maryland and the key areas of housing strategy: assessment of finance and policy; partnerships; and short- and long-term goals.

This report provides an overview of the activities of n4a, in partnership with AoA and CMS, and the contracts provided to 31 community-based organizations to implement community-based low-income subsidy enrollment campaigns. It contains helpful information on outreach techniques, including how to reach specific populations, including low income and rural groups.

Methods for evaluating MFP are mapped out in detail. The report explains the design of the analyses of implementation, impact, and outcomes. It also describes research questions to be answered and methods for tracking the 31 programs. Finally, the synthesis of information and format of the presentation of findings is discussed.

This letter is another in a series of CMS communications that support state efforts to improve the quality of services and supports provided through the Medicaid Home and Community-based Services waiver program. This communication announces three new items designed to assist states in enhancing oversight and operations: GAO Mortality Study in Developmental Disabilities, HCBS Quality Requirements Grid: A Technical Assistance Tool and the National HCBS Quality Enterprise award to Thomson Reuters.

This memorandum presents data on Medicaid long-term care expenditures in Federal Fiscal Year 2007 (Oct 2006-Sept 2007). Table 1 presents national data on Medicaid expenditures for Long-Term Care from 1995-2007. Other tables present state-by-state data for Nursing Homes, ICF/MR, Personal Care, HCBS Waivers, Home Health, Home Care, 1115 Waivers focused on HCBS, and other Medicaid services.

This report and executive summary were completed for Project BRIDGE, an Integrating Long-Term Supports with Affordable Housing grant from CMS. Individuals with disabilities desiring to live independently in Mississippi are hindered by the state’s scarcity of both affordable, accessible housing and the community-based services. The report outlines the issues and offers recommendations for creating community housing arrangements. Review the policy, program and research suggestions.