Truven Health Analytics (formerly Thomson Reuters)

Two multi-county regions in California established one-stop clinics to diagnose autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and coordinate service planning across the education and developmental disabilities systems. Both regions also established ongoing collaborative teams to coordinate supports and improve the local service system for children with ASD. An evaluation reported a four-month reduction in the average age of ASD diagnosis.

South Carolina hired an environmental modifications specialist to improve the quality of home modifications funded by its Medicaid HCBS waivers. The specialist trains case managers to develop specifications for ramps, and develops specifications for other home modifications so contractors can quickly make an informed bid. South Carolina also leveraged a state-funded home modification program to expand the types of modifications available in its waivers.

A new database showcases the efforts of many of the TA providers serving CMS’ grantees. The database allows users to see the wide range of activities that support and enrich the grantees under the New Freedom Initiative. The database contains important information regarding existing and upcoming research products, conferences, and significant meetings as well as a wide variety of toolkits, surveys, and policy briefs, intended to be of interested to the disability and long-term care community.

Special Needs Plans (SNPs), authorized by the Medicare Modernization Act, offer state Medicaid programs a new potential vehicle for coordinating Medicare and Medicaid benefits for dual eligibles. This report investigates the degree to which states (and plans) are using this option to develop more fully integrated Medicare-Medicaid models for dual eligibles needing long-term care services.

Recognizing the importance of measuring progress toward rebalancing, CMS contracted with Thomson Medstat to develop a model profile of one state and a companion technical assistance guide that other states can readily use to replicate and adapt the profile. Review Pennsylvania’s profile based upon their long-term support system across all disability and age groups. The technical assistance guide illustrates what a profile can provide and discusses the methods for development.

In many ways, consumers are the best experts on their disabling conditions, including their own needs for support and the effectiveness and quality of programs. As a result, obtaining consumer participation and input at all stages of program design, implementation, evaluation and quality assurance is important. Effectively and efficiently involving consumers and obtaining their input, however, requires creative and innovative methods. This checklist will help to enhance full participation.

Family to Family Centers provide information and other supports both to family members and to professionals who serve children and youth with special health care needs. This topic paper highlights innovative strategies developed by individual Family to Family Centers to develop partnerships to expand their reach, to enhance outreach to parents, to serve a culturally diverse clientele, to help youth prepare for transition, and to ensure organizational sustainability.

This memorandum and tables present data on Medicaid 1915(c) Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waiver expenditures from Federal Fiscal Years 2000 through 2005. Each individual HCBS waiver is classified by population served in order to show the distribution of HCBS waiver expenditures across long term care populations.

This memorandum presents data on Medicaid long-term care expenditures in Federal Fiscal Year 2005 (Sept 2004-Sept 2005). The accompanying tables present data on Medicaid Expenditures for Long-Term Care services from 1993-2005. Data included for Nursing Homes, ICF-MR, Personal Care, HCBS Waivers, Home Health, Home Care, Inpatient Hospital Care, Inpatient DSH, Inpatient Mental Health, Mental Health DSH, Medicaid Managed-Care, Prescribed Drugs, Long-term Care, Targeted Case Management and PACE.

This manual is intended to address two identified training needs for consultants/support brokers working with participants in self-directed care. MODULE ONE: Facilitating the Paradigm Shift for Consultants and MODULE TWO: The Dynamics of Choice and Decision-Making for Participants. The program identifies training needs by addressing the philosophical framework necessary for successful implementation of a participant-directed service and was designed to be delivered in two half-day sessions.