|
One of the issues that LEAP and the ODDC Center for Public Policy has been working on is “Money Follows the Person” a demonstration program to help persons move out of nursing homes, ICF-MRs, and back to the community with supports and services. When a person has been in an institution for over 6 months they often need someone to help them find a place to live, and set up the care, supports, goods and services that they will need to be successful. Under Ohio’s program, this is called targeted case management (someone to assist the person plan while they are still in the nursing home, support them when making the move, and making sure that everything is in place once they are settled). Case management is also part of the Home and Community based waiver programs.
Now CMS is proposing that the government cut back on this service, and we are asking Congress to intervene and stop this move.
Action Needed:
Please call, email or write to Representative Kucinich and urge him to support this bill. Thank our Senators (Voinovich & Brown) as well as Representatives LaTourette, Tubbs Jones, and Sutton for their support and urge them to stop this rule implementation.
The purpose of the bill is “to temporarily delay application of the proposed changes to Medicaid payment rules for case management & targeted case management services.”
Additional Talking Points:
-
This service is vital to helping individuals who chose to move out of nursing homes and other institutions to do so. It is important to Ohio’s Money Follows the Person” implementation plan as it will pay for a person/organization to assist a person to plan for, move out of, and settle back into the community. This cut will hurt Ohio’s efforts to transition people back into the community.
-
The proposed cut is drastic-from 6 months of payment to a maximum of 2 months of case management services for persons who have been in nursing homes for 6 months or more and to 14 days for persons who have been in a nursing home for less than 6 months.
-
CMS argues that this service should be done by the nursing home or institution. Most advocates know that what is understood as discharge planning is not the same as what is needed when a person has been institutionalized for a longer period of time. Most have to begin basically from scratch to locate housing, household goods, care, supports and services.
If you agree, please act today!
Any questions, call us.
And as always, let us know if you have acted and what kind of response you received from the Congresspersons office.
In August of 2006, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, in coordination with other state agencies, determined that Ohio submitted an application for the demonstration project. Under the provisions of the DRA and the MFP Demonstration Grant Application instructions, states that include stakeholders in a decision-making role for the design and development of the project will be given additional points towards winning funds under the grant program.
Ohio was awarded the grant and is eligible for enhanced reimbursement of Medicaid expenses associated with transitioning individuals with disabilities and the elderly from institutional settings to community settings of their choice for up to one year.
Other issues that advocates for individuals with disabilities are concerned about include access to affordable housing to provide real choices, access to trained and qualified direct support professionals, access to reliable transportation services, and opportunities for employment.
LEAP's Public Policy & Advocacy work is funded in part through a grant from the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council. The Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council (ODDC) is a planning and advocacy body committed to community inclusion for people with developmental disabilities. LEAP has been designated as one of four DD Council Centers for Public Policy.
Translate this page into Spanish made available by http://www.freetranslation.com
|
