All States/Territories

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) includes the extension of the MFP Demonstration Program for an additional 5 years. This letter provides background about the MFP Demonstration Program, explains improvements made by the ACA, details how the ACA will impact current MFP grantees, and provides preliminary information for non-participating States that may be interested in pursuing new funding.

Looking for sample e-newsletters funded by the MIG grant and geared towards employing people with disabilities? The state of Maine created 'Working Together e-News' as a way of providing timely, relevant, business-oriented information and updates for employers that are interested in diversifying Maine's workforce. An archive of these newsletters are provided on their website and could serve as an example to other states considering a newsletter sponsorship model.

Looking for a sample strategic MIG plan? Through the NYS Strategic Plan, the MISCC Employment committee and New York Makes Work Pay team have developed and implemented a set of cross-systems strategic recommendations to close the employment gap through executive, legislative and budgetary action. Find the Strategic Plan, as well as a link to the New York Makes Work Pay website.

How are online training resources helping New York employers and disability service providers build more powerful strategies, practices and partnerships for disability inclusive workplaces? New York's MIG program, New York Makes Work Pay, provides online tutorials on their website for employers and service providers. This approach could serve as a useful sample to other states.

Find a concise summary of new opportunities under the health reform law for states to balance their Medicaid long-term care delivery systems by expanding access to Medicaid HCBS programs. The brief outlines key provisions of the new law that expand HCBS benefit options, broaden financial and functional eligibility criteria, and provide additional financial incentives for states to further shift their Medicaid long-term services budgets to non-institutional settings.

An update to the Robert Wood Johnson 2002 chartbook examines the impact of chronic conditions on individuals and their caregivers, and the inadequacies of the U.S. health care system to meet their needs. According to the author, care for people with chronic conditions is not coordinated, leading to unnecessary service use. Included among his recommendations is the encouragement and support of patient self-management and family caregiving. Also attached is a presentation with supporting data.

Review recommendations offered for maximizing the new Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation’s effectiveness in promoting reforms to improve the quality and value of care, while helping achieve health reform’s goals of more efficient, coordinated, and effective services. Suggestions include implementing a variety of payment reform initiatives, including global and bundled payment, and encouraging the implementation of innovative models developed by states and the private-sector.

Find useful tools to help you advocate for participant-directed services. This toolkit offers a “Budget Myths Chart” highlighting common myths, counter-arguments, and important facts to make your case, and other helpful tools including personal stories, reports on involving program participants, and tips and examples of opinion articles suggested by policymakers and advocates.

Review a presentation developed for a training session for AAA-based Care Consultants with the Washington Veteran Directed Home Services program. It provides an overview of participant direction, and detailed instructions for care consultation including enrollment, assessment, creation of the the Participant Spending Plan, financial management services, and ongoing coaching and support for the participant. Slides also address myths and concerns associated with the change to traditional services.

Find national and state by state estimates of the increases in coverage and the associated costs compared to a baseline scenario without the Medicaid expansions in health reform. Findings show there will be large increases in coverage and federal funding in exchange for a small increase in state spending. Since it is impossible to predict the behavior of each state, the analysis examines two participation rate scenarios differing in the strength of outreach and enrollment efforts.