Washington

This report uses a variety of data sources to analyze the impact of the Washington Health Homes demonstration. The Washington Health Homes MFFS demonstration leverages health homes to integrate care for high-cost, high-risk full-benefit Medicare-Medicaid enrollees. This report addresses the demonstration’s approach to integrating the Medicare and Medicaid programs; providing care coordination to enrollees; enrolling beneficiaries into the demonstration; and engaging stakeholders.

This report summarizes the Medicare Parts A & B actuarial savings analysis of the Washington managed fee-for-service (MFFS) demonstration for 2015 and 2016. The Washington Health Home MFFS demonstration aims to improve service quality and integration while reducing costs of care for high-risk, high-cost dually eligible beneficiaries. For 2015, Washington demonstrated a final gross Medicare savings of $30 million. The preliminary gross Medicare savings for 2016 are $42 million.

This brief discusses the introduction of Employment First policies in seven states and explores each state’s values, mission, and goals around increasing employment opportunities for people with disabilities. It is a useful tool both for states wishing to bolster their Employment First efforts and for those looking to begin developing Employment First policies.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) examined states’ needs assessment processes for provision of long-term services and supports. GAO studied six states that differed in the following ways: assessment tools in use, participation in federal initiatives, HCBS delivery systems, and geographic location. GAO also reviewed federal requirements and documents and interviewed CMS officials and stakeholders.

This report documents the nationwide housing affordability crisis experienced by people with disabilities. The report discusses how in 2016, millions of adults with disabilities living solely on Supplemental Security Income (SSI) found that renting even a modest unit in their community would require nearly all of their monthly income. The report offers policy recommendations to address this crisis.

This report presents the findings and conclusions of this national evaluation of the MFP demonstration. The MFP Rebalancing Demonstration program launched more than nine years ago. There are 44 grantee states, and as of the end of calendar year 2015, grantee states had transitioned a total of 63,337 Medicaid beneficiaries from long-term institutional care to community residences and home and community-based LTSS.

This issue brief provides an overview of state agency data systems that are utilized to collect, aggregate, and analyze data for the administration of the Older Americans Act (OAA) programs. This report provides a snapshot of current state systems in 2017, changes to which are impacted by both national and state-level factors.

This paper from AARP describes promising practices on how aging and disability network agencies, Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (VAMCs), and Veteran Benefits Offices in seven states have forged partnerships to better support Veterans in community living. The paper includes a checklist for these local organizations to enhance collaboration and truly create a “no wrong door” for Veterans and their family caregivers to receive services in the community.

This report from Truven Health Analytics describes section 1915(c) home and community based services waiver programs. Over 1.6 million people received section 1915(c) waiver services in 2014; this is a 5 percent increase from 1.5 million in 2013. Furthermore, the number of section 1915(c) waiver participants has increased by an average of 4 percent per year since 2009. Participants received services for an average of 10 months in 2014, as in previous years.

In 2017, ADvancing States administered a survey of state agencies that deliver LTSS, including aging and disability agencies as well as Medicaid programs, regarding the significant policy, fiscal, and operational issues occurring within each state. During the survey, we collected detailed information about the structure of agencies, the supports provided, and the populations served by state programs.