Disabilities

CMS has announced it will offer more than $110 million to expand access to home and community-based services (HCBS) through Medicaid’s Money Follows the Person (MFP) program. The new Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) makes individual awards of up to $5 million available for more than 20 states and territories not currently participating in MFP. These funds will support initial planning and implementation to get the state/territory programs off the ground, which would ensure more people with Medicaid can receive high-quality, cost-effective, person-centered services in a setting they choose.

A 2020 study, developed and led by people with disabilities, examined member engagement and outcomes in the Massachusetts One Care Program, which provides comprehensive, integrated, coordinated care for dually eligible individuals under 65. The Better Care Playbook spoke with Dennis Heaphy, MPH, MEd, MDiv, a policy analyst and health justice advocate at the Massachusetts Disability Policy Consortium and a One Care member, to learn more about the findings of the One Care study. This blog post highlights the impact of engaging members with disabilities in care planning and strategies that health systems and payers can use to advance health equity through improved engagement with people with disabilities.

The Office of Disability Employment Policy released the report, “Employment of Persons with a Disability: Analysis of Trends during the COVID-19 Pandemic– Findings in Brief.” This report examines workforce changes during COVID-19. It draws on data from the Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey to provide insight into key labor force statistics, employment across industries and occupations, and the effect of the easing of social distancing and the ability to telework on occupational employment change.

The brief from the KKF shares state-level data on HCBS spending and the number of people receiving Medicaid in FY 2020. The data were collected in KFF’s 19th survey of state officials administering Medicaid HCBS programs in all 50 states and DC.

The ADvancing States, in partnership with the National Alliance for Caregiving, created an infographic that depicts an overview of statistics on the experiences of caregivers in the United States, documenting their growing contributions to providing care to older adults and persons with disabilities in light of limited resources for caregiver services.

ACL, CMS, and the Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) have released a Q&A document to help grantees, stakeholders, and self-advocates better understand the Medicaid buy-in program. The Medicaid buy-in program includes Medicaid eligibility groups that serve workers with disabilities who are earning income and whom states may charge premiums as a condition of Medicaid eligibility.

This paper examines the success of grants given to initiatives that address the employment gap between people with and without disabilities. Independent evaluations identified five elements which were common to successful projects, namely, 1) A focus on changing attitudes about people with disabilities and their ability to work, 2) A person-centered approach to employment, 3) Technological platforms or model documentation, 4) Strong community partnerships, and 5) Wraparound services.

In early 2018, NIDILRR issued a request for information about people with disabilities and opioid use disorder. NIDILRR received comments from 50 respondents, including consumers, community and national organizations, research teams, and federal partners. Overall, the responses to this RFI revealed a need to further explore the intersection of chronic pain, opioid misuse, and people with disabilities.

This issue brief from the Kaiser Family Foundation examines the implications of work requirements for Medicaid recipients with disabilities. Kaiser’s analysis finds that waivers that condition Medicaid eligibility on meeting a work requirement could affect people with disabilities who have limitations that interfere with their ability to work but do not rise to the stringent SSI level of disability.

The Administration for Community Living (ACL), joined the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) and the HHS Office of Civil Rights to produce a report on ensuring beneficiary health and safety in group homes through state implementation of comprehensive compliance oversight. This report serves as a resource for states to use as a part of efforts to ensure that all group homes are safe and healthy places for people with disabilities.