Missouri

Governors’ State of the State addresses reveal policy and programmatic trends. This document tracks those comments made in such addresses that indicate wider policy initiatives that impact older adults and people with disabilities. A state-by-state analysis of 43 State addresses and budgets helps to illuminate overall trends in aging and disability policies, such as Medicaid changes and the restructuring of state departments and programs affecting long-term services and supports (LTSS).

Published monthly, this report and website tool focuses on state actions in managed care for people who receive Medicaid-funded LTSS and on state initiatives relating to services and costs. The Tracker includes updates on State Demonstrations to Integrate Care for Dual Eligible Individuals, the Balancing Incentives Payment Program (BIPP), states developing or implementing Medicaid State Plan amendments under §1915(i), and states pursuing the Communities First Choice Option under §1915(k).

Review a new survey of organizations that provide services within the I&R/A Network. The following themes emerged from the survey: aging and disability networks continue to integrate; the use of technology in I&R/A service delivery is slow to develop; the role of I&R/A organizations is expanding; and there are opportunities for improved coordination and quality service delivery. Review the recommendations that address these themes.

There has been effort to create standards for senior centers at a state level. Many State Units on Aging (SUAs) coordinate with Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) to fund, develop, and foster these standards. This report summarizes findings from a survey of 38 states concerning various areas related to senior centers, including funding sources, operational guidelines, and required services. Most states reported some common practices and 16 states provide guidance for their senior centers.

A Silver Alert program establishes a notification system to alert the public of missing persons who are elderly or have cognitive impairments. This report identifies which states have Silver Alert programs, those that do not, and those with pending legislation. This report provides a brief summary of the legislations that established programs in certain states, the agencies administering the program, and the program requirements for initiating an alert.

The recession continues to affect state programs for older individuals and adults with physical disabilities. Demand for publicly funded services has grown, and resources, including staff, are stretched thin, according to this new 50-state study. 31 states have cut non-Medicaid aging and disability services programs in FY 2010, and 28 states were expecting to cut these programs in FY 2011. Find the research report, brief, video and compiled State profiles.

This report describes important system-of-care principles that have shaped the services for youth with SEDs, the role of the various agencies and the financing used by many states. It identifies and critiques four financing mechanisms: HCBS waivers, the Medicaid rehabilitation option, case rates for high risk populations, and provisions in the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act (TEFRA). The paper ends with a synthesis of research questions and implications for legislative efforts.

This innovative disability and health data tool uses data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) to identify disparities in health between adults with and without disabilities. Find data on a range of health indicators for your state and compare the health of adults with and without disabilities and certain health conditions. Maps, data tables and state profiles are available.

This issue brief uses the most recent comprehensive data, from 2009, to examine the characteristics and costs of dual-eligible beneficiaries. The report also examines the different payment systems that Medicare and Medicaid use to fund care for dual-eligible beneficiaries and recent efforts at the federal and state levels to integrate those payment systems and coordinate the care between both programs. Given the high cost of dual-eligibles, legislative solutions are reviewed.

In an effort to assist state agencies in planning for the specific behavioral health needs of emerging populations in their state, this toolkit provides state and national estimates of behavioral health disorders and program utilization, as well as step-by-step instructions to generate projections of health benefits, services and providers that will need to be addressed in the future. This resource can be helpful for mental health and substance use agencies, health plans, and Medicaid agencies.