MS Will Grant $1.75 Billion For Medicaid Home And Community Care; Massachusetts House Votes To Boost Homecare In Medicaid, USA

Main Category: Caregivers / Homecare
Also Included In: Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP
Article Date: 30 Jul 2006 - 6:00 PDT

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Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) said it will give competitive grants to states totaling $1.75 billion over five years "to help shift Medicaid from its historical emphasis on institutional long-term care services to a system that offers more choices for seniors and persons with disabilities from all age groups, including home and community-based services."

CMS said it is currently implementing this "money follows the person" rebalancing initiative, which was included in the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (DRA). Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt stated, "With this program, people who need long-term care and prefer to live in their own homes and communities can do so."

Earlier this week the Massachusetts House voted to boost access to homecare under the state's Medicaid program. The Boston Globe reports that the bill would "counter the state's historical preference for placing people in nursing homes, by guaranteeing that seniors can get care in the 'least restrictive setting' that meets their needs, including their own homes." The Globe reports that about three quarters of the state's $2.2 billion Medicaid long-term care budget is spent on nursing homes.

American Association for Homecare
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