Florida

This article discusses the benefits and opportunities presented as a result of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) publishing the final Medicaid rule that permits Medicaid recipients to self–direct their own health care and supportive services. The rule is known as Self–Directed Personal Assistance Services Program State Plan Option (Cash & Counseling).

This article presents results of a survey of the attitudes and practices of managed care organizations concerning consumer direction. The study focused on understanding several alternative measures of consumer direction and the factors that are associated with the MCOs concerning those measures.

The Alliance for Health Reform briefing took place July 29, 2005. Three presentations made at the briefing on the effects of Cash & Counseling can be found here.

This Issue Brief features information gathered from Arkansas' IndependentChoices program including satisfaction and how consumers used their budgets.

ILRU and NCIL, in collaboration with Boston College, presented a 90-minute teleconference and webcast for Centers for Independent Living interested in the national Cash & Counseling program. Participants learned how Center’s consumers can access and spend Medicaid dollars on home and community based personal assistance services. Representatives from the Independent Living movement shared how they are participating in the Cash & Counseling programs in two states.

The following report presents twenty-four case stories about the experience of adults and children with disabilities who receive the cash option in the Consumer Directed Care Program in the state of Florida. The report is available as both a downloadable PDF or as a interactive on-line guide which helps users navigate through the report and easily find information.

An overview of Cash & Counseling including a historical context, the theoretical framework for evaluation, and information on design.

This article describes existing personal assistance service programs as well as information on the Cash & Counseling demonstration and evaluation. The program evaluation, including program design, technical assistance, and selection criteria, is discussed.

This article highlights the specific importance of consumer participation in the pre- and post-survey focus groups, and how that participation enhanced program planners' understanding of survey results, informed the design of the CCDE cash option program, and identified messages to include in social marketing materials for cash option consumers.

This study provides rich data about the experiences of paid workers who care for children under the age of 18 with developmental disabilities in Florida's CCDE program, Consumer Directed Care (CDC). Topics include workers' views about issues such as job satisfaction, roles and responsibilities, and ideas for recruiting and retaining new personal care workers.