CMS

Presentation given by Steven Lutzky, PhD., former Director of Community Systems Improvement for the Disabled and Elderly Health Programs Group, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, at the AoA Conference in Orlando, Florida in September 2003.

This document highlights North Dakota’s plan to pay family caregivers for services. North Dakota, as part of its efforts to increase alternatives to nursing homes, uses state funds to provide monthly payments to spouses and other family members to care for low-income people with disabilities, including older people living at home. The report provides background, implementation, and impact information for the program.

This report details the State of Wisconsin’s Aging and Disability Resource Centers that offer information to the general public about a wide range of community supports available to older persons and persons with disabilities. The Resource Centers also give in-depth advice about long-term support options and provide a single entry point for persons seeking access to the state’s home and community based services programs.

This report provides a description of Oregon’s home and community based service system. The document provides information on several service areas and programs including streamlining program access, person-centered services, and person centered management systems. Future directions and lessons learned are also discussed.

This CMS letter highlights the ways that states can include public input in the 1115 waiver, Home and Community-Based Service Waiver, and managed care waiver process. Some examples are provided including public forums and legislative hearings.

The State of Colorado has established Single Entry Point (SEP) agencies that provide an access point for several publicly funded long-term supports for people with disabilities, including older people, people with physical disabilities, people living with AIDS, and people with brain injuries. SEP agencies provide education to individuals about available options and provide easier access for individuals and families to the programs. This report describes the SEP system in Colorado.

On August 13, 2002, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a letter to State Medicaid Directors highlighting promising state practices. It complements the letter Tommy Thompson sent to Governors.

CMS letter allowing coverage of transition costs under 1915 (c) waivers. This letter clarifies some methods by which HCBS waivers under section 1915(c) may aid in the transitioning of individuals from institutional settings to their own home in the community through coverage of one-time transitional expenses. This clarification was promised in the HHS New Freedom Report to the President.

Access to assistive technology for people with disabilities is a basic foundation of the President's New Freedom Initiative. The Executive Memo summarized here furthers the President's desire to ensure that all people with disabilities have access to programs and services that promote the opportunity for them to live independently and lead productive lives. Access to the Memo is available from the file included here.

The Living and Working in the Community 2003 conference, sponsored by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), was held March 4-5, 2003. Participants included Medicaid grantees, consumers, advocates, Federal and State representatives, providers, and academics. The link provide here will direct you to the presentations from this conference. Topics include: Quality assurance, nursing facility transition, mental health, single point of entry, workforce issues and housing issues.