Kansas

This memorandum presents data on Medicaid long-term care expenditures in Federal Fiscal Year 2006 (Oct 2005-Sept 2006). Table 1 presents national data on Medicaid expenditures for Long-Term Care from 1994-2006. Other tables present state-by-state data 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, Targeted Case Management and PACE.

Review the efforts to adopt and improve services and supports to people with disabilities, in conjunction with The Ticket to Work & Work Incentives Improvement Act. This report captures progress in the provision of personal assistance services; the provision of Medicaid type health insurance referred to as a Medicaid Buy-in, and; earnings data for workers with disabling conditions. By 2005, 31 states had Medicaid Buy-In programs compared to eight prior to passage of the Ticket legislation.

This report describes grant activities (accomplishments and progress) in three major LTC systems areas: Access to LTC Services and Supports, Services, Supports, and Housing, Administrative and Monitoring Infrastructure. The report also provides illustrative examples of the challenges Grantees have faced as they implement grant activities, and consumers’ roles in the implementation and evaluation of these activities.

The Kansas MIG produces a quarterly newsletter entitled “Working Healthy”. The newsletter, which has been published since the inception of the MIG program in 2001, highlights the successes and challenges within the program, offers brief on issues like eligibility and Medicare Part D, and contains special features like FAQs, resources, and the Benefits Specialists’ Corner column. The Working Healthy website contains links to all newsletters published since 2001.

Need an overview of the basic components of the nation’s largest health coverage program? Medicaid covers 55 million low-income individuals and is the dominant source of long-term care financing. Examine the structure of the program, who it covers, what services it provides, and spending. Because Medicaid is jointly financed by the federal and state governments programs vary across states. Tables examining the state-to-state variation in eligibility, enrollment, and spending are included.

Thirteen states and the District of Columbia will get more than $547 million in grants over five years to build Medicaid long-term care programs that will help keep people at home and out of institutions. This “Money Follows the Person” initiative was included in the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (DRA), currently being implemented by CMS. The press release lists the states and the amount of money committed over the next five years.

The Compendium contains basic information about each of the Real Choice Systems Change Grant awards in FY03–FY04 plus the Family to Family and Systems Transformation Grantees awarded in FY05 and FY06. The Compendium will help Grantees identify others with similar goals and activities. Learn more about how the grants will be used to allow more people of all ages with a disability or long term illness to live and participate in their communities. The sixth edition replaces all previous editions.

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.

A public voice for caregivers, the Family Caregiver Alliance (FCA) offers information education, services, research and advocacy programs to support and sustain the vital work of families caring for loved ones. The website offers fact sheets, audio archives, referrals, newsletters, issue briefs and reports. A newly updated resource map called Caregiving Across the States allows state administrators, policy makers, and caregivers to access state-by-state data from an interactive database.

The annual 50-state survey of Medicaid officials finds an improved economy combined with the implementation of the new Medicare prescription drug benefit has contributed to the lowest rate of Medicaid spending growth in a decade and the fourth consecutive year in which Medicaid spending growth has slowed. Review the news release, read the report, or listen to conference materials and view the presentation slides.