Announcement/Press release

<i>NOTE: The effective date for this rule has been postponed to April 3, 2009 and the comment period has been reopened, pending review by the Obama administration. See "Interim Rule" below.</i> CMS issued a Final Rule giving states the flexibility to define the scope of medical assistance covered by Medicaid by offering coverage of benchmark or benchmark-equivalent benefit packages to certain recipients. The file contains the official text of the rule as entered into the Federal Registry.

This press release, dated May 2008, summarizes a collection of data related to American’s living with disabilities. This information is released each year in advance of the anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Use this guide as quick reference to data and statistics.

The Department of Health and Human Services announces $36 million in new grant programs to 28 states to help older Americans, veterans, and people with Alzheimer’s disease to remain in their homes and communities. About $19 million of this involves a collaboration between the Administration on Aging and the Department of Veterans Affairs. The grants are designed to reach people who are not eligible for Medicaid but are at high risk for nursing home placement and to spend-down to Medicaid.

A final rule that would allow more Medicaid beneficiaries to be in charge of their own personal assistance services, including personal care services, instead of having those services directed by an agency, was published in the Oct 3, 2008 Federal Register. The rule, effective Nov. 3, 2008, guides states that wish to allow beneficiaries who need help with activities of daily living to hire, direct, train or fire their own personal care, workers including qualified family members.

You can use this toolkit to replicate a rural transportation program. Surveys, communications with stakeholders, fact sheets, flyers, background information, and materials from a transportation summit are all included.

Seven states received a share of over $8 million in federal grants to increase awareness of home-and community-based long-term care options for people leaving hospitals who otherwise may enter a nursing home. Over $7 million of the awards will be used to develop person-centered hospital discharge planning models. An additional $574,613 will supplement grants from FY07 to Wisconsin and Alaska so they can continue their Person-Centered Planning Implementation programs for another two years.

Watch these videos to hear first-hand from direct-care workers about the services they provide. They share their thoughts on why they do this work, how they are viewed by families, friends, and service recipients, and how they deal with challenges such as discrimination and disrespect. They also provide advice on how to improve the field. The videos are available free at this website or can be ordered as a DVD or VHS with a discussion guide included.

CMS has proposed rule changes to implement Section 1915(i) of the Social Security Act. 1915(i) enables states to provide a prescribed set of HCBS to individuals that earn less than 150% of the Federal Poverty Level and require less than institutional levels of care. It does so without requiring waivers (as in 1915(c)), consumer eligibility for institutional care, or a cost savings demonstration. Further background information and instructions for comment submission are included.

The Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) of 2005 clarified which case management and targeted case management services are covered by Medicaid. The rule addresses concerns about improper billing of non-Medicaid services to the program by some states, while aiming to ensure comprehensive services that meet the needs of beneficiaries. These documents from CMS are meant to assist practitioners in understanding and abiding by these rules.

This report is about older youth that are involved in the foster care system and have disabilities and the challenges and outcomes they experience in the areas of education, employment, and other indicators of well-being. The goal is to inform and advise state and federal policymakers in improving these outcomes through better services coordination, systems accountability, leadership development, and capacity building, focusing especially on the transition to adulthood.