All States/Territories

Access the latest information on health care reform and learn how it impacts seniors and those with disabilities in your community. Resources include new grant releases, updates, fact sheets, blog links, state-by-state reports, CMS guidance and White House.gov links.

Grant awards totaling approximately $2.25 million to 12 states to implement the Lifespan Respite Care Program were recently awarded, adding to the twelve states that received awards in 2009. Lifespan Respite Care programs are coordinated systems of accessible, community-based respite care services for family caregivers of children or adults of all ages with special needs. Find information about the implementation of the program, and learn more about the key activities of each of the grantees.

Dual eligibles comprise only 17% of the Medicare population but represent 28% of Medicare beneficiaries with five or more chronic conditions. Find key facts and analyses on older Americans and long-term care issues. DataBriefs examine health and supportive services and the people who use them, while exploring opportunities to improve care through the implementation of health reform. Each Databrief is offered in the form of a Powerpoint presentation and one page PDF.

A number of health reform provisions give states additional options for financing HCBS services. This brief analyzes scenarios whereby states, which have significant roles in implementing many aspects of the ACA, might implement a combination of new Medicaid state plan options, enhanced Medicaid matching payments, and demonstration projects to expand HCBS care. In determining whether to adopt these options, states will assess whether they improve upon the current Medicaid authorities they use.

What are the goals of consumer direction? Does mental illness affect consumer direction of community-based care? This presentation addresses these and other tough questions faced in planning and implementing participant-directed programs. Information on consumer assessments, representatives, and common sense approaches and intervention are discussed, as well as additional tools and resources.

Are you looking for training materials for a nursing home diversion program? Arkansas created this Care Coordinator manual, Fact Sheet and Counseling Checklist for use at the beginning of their Nursing Home Diversion Program/Community Living Program. Also find consumer narratives and letters. The Arkansas Division of Aging and Adult Services was one of 12 state units on aging to be awarded a grant from the Administration on Aging for a new and innovative Nursing Home Diversion Program.

Many low-income individuals with severe mental illness leave state institutions without health insurance and therefore without financial access to the treatment they need to live successfully in their communities. Read an evaluation of Oklahoma’s efforts to develop and implement a model program to ensure that eligible individuals with mental illness were enrolled in Medicaid at discharge from state prisons and institutions for mental diseases.

Review a brief that profiles Medicaid Buy-In participants with severe mental illness and compares their characteristics, employment experiences, and medical expenditures with those of other program participants. Findings show that Buy-In participants had lower medical expenditures, were more likely to be employed and to increase their earnings over time.

Find a clearly written, user-friendly manual developed for use by an individual transitioning into greater independence and adulthood. The toolkit provides comprehensive guidance on planning for personal assistance services and transitioning to independent living. A number of personal stories are included, along with useful questionnaires, checklists, goal development guides, sample plans, activities of daily living worksheets, and extensive PAS hiring, management and training information.

What are some of the essential components of Medicaid long-term care programs? This brief, geared towards people working in Medicaid or disability employment, discusses payment for long-term care, range of services, administration, eligibility, functional assessment and rebalancing of long-term care systems. Also find examples of how some states have incorporated aspects of long-term care services and supports (LTSS) into their Medicaid Buy-In (MBI) programs.