Texas

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.

This project was funded to a) gather descriptive information on HCBS waivers, both comprehensive and supports, operated for people with I&DD in 17 states with the supports waivers b) determine how supports waivers have emerged as separate and distinct HCBS waivers c) better understand the range of participant characteristics and experiences that distinguish supports waivers from other HCBS waivers d) more fully appreciate how states view supports waivers as a way to address demand for HCBS.

This is the latest newsletter of the National Core Indicators (NCI) program. The publication is designed to keep you abreast of developments and best practices in performance and outcome measurement as exemplified in initiatives among NCI participants. Volume 2, Issue 1 explores the work in two states referred to as performance measurement mavens - Texas (the New Kid on the Block) and Washington (Seasoned and Going Strong).

To help States build the infrastructure needed to remove barriers and create more consumer responsive LTC systems, CMS awarded $70 million in Real Choice Systems Change Grants. Fifty-two Grants were awarded in Sept. 2001 (25 Real Choice, 10 Community-Integrated Personal Assistance Services & Supports, 17 Nursing Facility Transition). This report describes the progress FY01 Grantees have made on their activities during the first year of the three-year Grant period (Oct 1, 2001-Sept 30, 2002.)

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.

Presentations included information about the Quality Assurance/Quality Improvement (QA/QI) grant as well as the activities of the grant. Presentations were made on the results of the Measuring Quality Using Experience Surveys report. A presentation to the department’s management team on the Data Mart(s) is also included.

The following two reports are the result of face-to-face and mailing surveys to evaluate user experiences. The face-to-face surveys were conducted with people who are 18 years of age and older who receive Medicaid waiver or Intermediate Care Facilities for Persons with Mental Retardation (ICF/MR) Program Services. The Children/Family Surveys were mailed to families of children under 18 years of age who received services in programs operated by the Department in 2005.

The goal of the QAI Datamart is to develop a consumer-based reporting and data analysis database using the Home and Community-Based Services Quality Framework. The QAI DataMart will support data analysis and decision support for quality assurance and improvement. The purpose of this Software Requirements Specification (SRS) is to document the customer’s requirements for the applications being developed or enhanced. The reports and queries available from the DataMart are also included.

One objective of the Texas’s QA/QI grant was to develop a uniform and automated critical incident reporting process. Information was collected on critical incidents reported most often by other states to be used with the Quality Assurance and Improvement (QAI) Data Mart. The QA/QI task force reviewed and used this information to develop a list of critical incident definitions and recommendations.

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.