Massachusetts

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.

This site offers a unique mix of quantitative and qualitative policy information to assist advocates, researchers, and policymakers interested in improving implementation of federal workforce policies. Data is presented in state by state summaries and interactive databases for Workforce Investment Act (WIA), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Pell Grants, Perkins Vocational & Technical Education, Adult Education & Family Literacy, and Wagner-Peyser/Employment Service programs.

The National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) Conference was held in August 2006 in Chicago. A one day session focused on Aging and Disability Resource Centers. The day was broken into three sections: an AoA/CMS Overview, State Profiles from Ohio, Indiana, Iowa and Illinois and an audience consultation session. Review the overview slides and the state summaries which explore Single Point of Entry and navigating the long-term care systems maze.

Review an example of how grantees can create informational brochure for families of children and youth with special health care needs. The outreach material explains the centers benefits including training, mentors, advocacy and listserv services. There are three versions, one in English, Portuguese, and Spanish.

This report is the first in a series of final reports that RTI will prepare to document the outcomes of the Real Choice Systems Change Grants. The principal sources of data for this report are Grantees semi-annual, annual, and final reports, a 2005 topic paper on the NFT Grantees and Grantee-prepared final reports and evaluation results as well as publications and materials developed under the grant. This report was referenced on page 48 of CMS MFP Demonstration Solicitation Document.

The aim of this policy brief is to offer state planners and program administrators an overview of strategies being used to improve and develop programs to support individuals with co-occurring psychiatric and developmental disabilities.

Practitioners and policy makers who focus on youth must be knowledgeable about youth development concepts, but it is critically important they know how to apply those concepts in the context of specific functions and program responsibilities. The emphasis of this paper is on incorporating youth development into state adolescent health programs however, the information is relevant to other state-funded programs that address various adolescent issues.

This report describes grant activities in three major LTC systems areas: Access to Long-Term Care Services and Supports, Services, Supports, and Housing, Administrative and Monitoring Infrastructure. For each of the focus areas the report describes Grantees’ accomplishments, illustrates the challenges and discusses the consumers’ role in the implementation and evaluation of activities. The report uses information provided during the reporting period October 1, 2004 to September 30, 2005.

A new monthly report from HUD is available on-line and is broken down state-by-state and downloadable in an MS Excel spreadsheet. Participating Jurisdiction (PJs) can use the reports to view open activities in IDIS including activities with 100% of the funds drawn and with a status code of FD, or final draw. PJs can view activities that have been open (OP) for several years with little or no HOME funds drawn. These projects, if not progressing, should be cancelled. The data is updated monthly.

This memorandum and tables present data on Medicaid 1915(c) Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waiver expenditures from Federal Fiscal Years 2000 through 2005. Each individual HCBS waiver is classified by population served in order to show the distribution of HCBS waiver expenditures across long term care populations.