Medicaid Waivers

In 2014, most homeless people will become Medicaid-eligible under the Affordable Care Act. Many homeless people have physical and behavioral health conditions for which they seek care through frequent use of emergency rooms and inpatient hospitalization, at considerable cost in public resources. Medicaid reimbursement is an important source of funding for services that help homeless people succeed in housing and stop such inappropriate use of crisis health services.

This portion of the Center for PAS website presents various data and resources related to Personal Assistance Services by state. Recent updates include two sets of information concerning Medicaid home-and community-based services (HCBS). Users can select a state or select a specific topic such as state statistics, program data, and other PAS projects.

Autism spectrum disorders are among the fastest-growing developmental disability diagnosis in the US. This growing number highlights the need to learn more about the services & supports that are currently available for adults with ASD, & consider those that will be needed throughout their adult lifespan. The purpose of the study was to investigate how people with ASD are being served across states in HCBS, including service eligibility, state trends specific to autism services & lessons learned.

The goals of the survey, which was sent to direct-care workers serving participants using the MI Choice SD option, were to: collect baseline demographic information on workers in the SD option; understand the motivations, job satisfaction, and training needs of workers providing services and supports to self-directed participants; and,identify strategies to strengthen and support the recruitment and retention of workers in self-directed programs.

Both of these large state waivers affect hundreds of thousands of Medicaid beneficiaries, involve billions of federal Medicaid matching funds, and are designed, in part, to promote changes in the health care delivery system that will result in better care for individuals, better population health, and reductions in costs through system improvements. They have a number of key similarities and differences as summarized in the side-by-side table within this fact sheet.

Have you seen the new site sponsored by CMS? This space offers a resource center for states, up to date information about the affordable care act and additional federal policy guidance. The waiver section organizes information by state, program name, waiver authority and status of a application. This chart gives an overview of the four primary types of waivers and demonstration projects: Section 1115, Section 1915(b) Managed Care, Section 1915(c) HCBS, and Concurrent Section 1915(b) and 1915(c).

State Medicaid agencies fund supports & services for individuals with disabilities. As national public policy recognizes & emphasizes the ability of individuals with disabilities to work, states are integrating employment supports into the continuum of long-term care in Medicaid. This brief discusses federal legislative & regulatory framework for funding employment supports in Medicaid, highlights examples of state innovations & best practices to promote positive employment outcomes.

On February 22, 2012, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) put on display at the Federal Register a final rule that establishes a process to promote State & Federal transparency for Medicaid & Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) demonstrations. The rule is designed to ensure public input in the development, review, & approval of Medicaid and CHIP demonstration projects under section 1115 of the Social Security Act. The final rule will be effective starting April 27, 2012.

NCI is a voluntary effort by public developmental disabilities agencies to measure and track their own performance. The core indicators are standard measures used across states to assess the outcomes of services provided to individuals and families. Indicators address key areas of concern including employment, rights, service planning, community inclusion, choice, and health and safety.

This guide lays out information about each federal program that provides or could provide respite funding or support. It is meant to be used by state Lifespan Respite Care Programs & their partners to help identify the funding sources that could be the building blocks for the state’s Lifespan Respite systems, help serve the underserved, build respite capacity & quality and help recruit & retain respite workers, and identify individuals who administer funds for future partnerships.