Maine

The estimated economic value of family caregivers’ unpaid contributions contribution was approximately $450 billion in 2009. If family caregivers were no longer available, the economic cost to the U.S. health care and long-term services and supports systems would increase astronomically. This report updates national and individual state estimates of the economic value of family care using the most current available data, and provides recommendations for taking care of the caregivers.

On November 15, 2010, the CHOICES CEO Project sponsored an “Employment for ME Summit” to introduce Maine Department of Health and Human Services’ new employment policy. A resource page with extensive information about the summit, and links to technical resource materials disseminated at the conference, was put on a web page for those who couldn’t attend, and for ongoing reference for those who did attend. In addition, 14 important segments were put on YouTube.

How is Maine working to increase opportunities for communication and networking regarding employment for those with disabilities? One way is by posting sponsored events online. The videos attached feature short clips from a breakfast series hosted by the CHOICES CEO Project. The sponsored networking breakfasts are for businesses and organizations that provide employment services to people with disabilities.

How is Maine disseminating information related to the employment of workers with disabilities? This website is a portal page for job seekers and workers with disabilities, Maine employers, as well as organizations that provide services for workers with disabilities and job seekers with disabilities. Visit the site to find resources and consider ways you states might share more information electronically.

"Working Together" is a group of Maine businesses and organizations helping Maine employers capitalize on an untapped source of employees: individuals with disabilities. Attached, find several examples of their outreach materials, including newsletters and a magazine advertisement.

This report provides the latest national and state data on enrollment and spending for individuals enrolled in both Medicaid and Medicare, also known as dual eligibles. There were about 8.9 million dual eligibles in 2007. Dual eligibles are among the sickest and poorest individuals covered by either program. Although they comprised 15% of Medicaid enrollment, dual eligibles accounted for 39% ($121 billion) of Medicaid spending for medical services & for more than a quarter of Medicare spending.

Are you developing a participant handbook for your Veteran-Directed Home and Community Based Services program? Review state examples from Maine, Massachusetts, Texas, and Washington. These participant handbooks provide an overview of the VDHCBS program, the assessment process, developing a person-centered plan and individual budget, legal responsibilities as an employer, working with a Financial Management Services vendor, and more.

Are you looking for state data on people who are simultaneously enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid? Find a number of useful interactive tables, charts, and graphs including Medicaid spending by service, spending per dual eligible, dual eligible enrollment, duals as a percentage of Medicaid enrollees, and more.

Unemployment of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (ID/DD) continues to be a significant public policy concern. This report looks at statistics over a 20-year period from several national data sets that address the status of employment and economic self-sufficiency for this population, and contains an overview of national trends, an in-depth perspective on how states collect and use employment data, and an Appendix with individual state and national profiles.

America's rural communities contain the nation's highest concentrations of older people. Learn about the results of a 13-year, $13-million national program created in 1992 by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and NCB Capital Impact to develop affordable assisted living models, with a focus on smaller and rural communities and low-income seniors. Learn about the strategy, program design, implementation, results and lessons learned.