All States/Territories

This conference was designed to assess state initiatives to improve quality, cost, and access and to help policy makers—from both the executive and legislative branches—identify the most promising and cost effective of these programs and policies. Sessions of interest for grantees include: Quality Challenges in LTC, Self-Direction Sweeping States, Information to Live by...Building Integrated Health Data Systems, Beyond HCBS Waivers, Money Follows the Person, Medicare Modernization Act

This letter clarifies the policy of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), formerly the Health Care Financing Administration, as it relates to the enrollment of Medicare eligible beneficiaries in Medicaid managed care.

In this letter, CMS outlines several methods by which states may facilitate the transition of individuals from institutional to community settings through Medicaid coverage of medical equipment (ME) costs. This letter also serves to reiterate the July 25, 2000, State Medicaid Directors’ letter on this issue and to encourage states to explore this opportunity for persons with disabilities.

This transcript is from a call on \"Emergency Back-Up and Independence Plus\". Participants on the call discussed the requirement for states to have an Emergency Back-Up System at both the individual level and the systems level. Grantees heard examples from states in action, which included New Hampshire, Louisiana, Florida and South Carolina. These states discussed what they are doing around emergency back-up and some of the lessons that they have learned.

More states than ever are re-directing Medicaid funds to keep more people out of institutions and living in their own communities and homes, and there are many approaches that states can use to accomplish this, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) said August 17th in a letter to state Medicaid directors. In addition there is a link to the two previously sent State Medicaid Directors letters, which are referenced in the letter.

This paper explores the role of older participants in planning, developing and overseeing home and community based service (HCBS) programs. It seeks to help State Units on Aging and others in the aging network identify concrete steps they can take to support the role of these older individuals as public policy advocates. The report addresses the extent of older HCBS participants' current involvement, the barriers to success, and the strategies being used to attain participation.

This report was prepared for the Iowa legislature and recommends that the state increase Medicare and Medicaid payments in order to increase pay. It also recommends raising public awareness of worker shortages and their impact, creating mentoring programs to prevent turnover/increase retention, and other strategies to strengthen the health and long-term care workforce.

This teleconference was held to allow Family to Family grantees share their expertise and areas of concern. The goal was to learn from the experiences of other grantees. Agenda topics included collaborating with other organizations on webpages, and 211 information lines, how to handle hotline calls in an efficient, yet empathetic manner, and how to effectively collect and use family stories.

News release on the sale of Dammasch State Hospital. The Oregon Office of Mental Health & Addiction Services seeking entities to sponsor the development of a variety of housing projects for persons with mental illness to be developed at Villebois in Wilsonville, Oregon. The proceeds of the sale, less expenses related to the complex real estate transaction, will be deposited in the Community Mental Health Housing Fund.

The Cash & Counseling approach provides consumers with a flexible monthly allowance that is based on an individualized budget, which allows them to direct and manage their own personal assistance services and address their own specific needs. This website hosts a library, offers information the original demonstrations, news & events.