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The NC Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) – Division of Medical Assistance (DMA) recently announced their plans to apply for a federal grant aptly named “Money Follows the Person” (MFP). Through the MFP initiative, the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will provide a total of $1.75 billion over the next five years to states to help shift Medicaid from the historical emphasis on institutional long-term care services to a home and community based service system, offering more choices for seniors and people with disabilities across all age groups. The deadline for the first year’s application is November 1, 2006. The comprehensive MFP program announcement and additional information are available on the CMS website at:
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/NewFreedomInitiative/downloads/MFP_2007_Announcement.pdf
Highlights of the grant announcement are available at the bottom of this page.
DMA has a very short time period to prepare the grant application (the state Medicaid agency is required to submit the application) and is seeking input from all people who are interested. In addition, a Stakeholder Workgroup has been appointed by the Secretary of DHHS, Carmen Hooker Odom.
DMA has asked the NC Disability Action Network (NC DAN) to partner with them to distribute information about the MFP grant as well as serve as a “clearinghouse” for questions and input. You can send your questions and input in through this site to NCMFP@NCDAN.com. Questions will be compiled, forwarded to DMA, and responses posted on this site twice a week while the application is being prepared. Input will be forwarded to the Stakeholder Workgroup. Workgroup meeting announcements will be posted on this site, as well as notes/minutes from the meetings. Other announcements on the progress of the application will be posted as well.
This partnership between NC DAN and DMA should serve to benefit both groups. DMA leaders have committed to work with individuals directly connected with long-term care institutional services and those interested in the transition to home and community based services.
Questions? Suggestions? Contact NCMFP@NCDAN.com
Downloadable Files:
Meeting Notes
Download a copy of the October 2nd meeting notes.
Download a copy of the September 18th meeting notes.
Download a copy of the September 9th meeting notes.
Download a copy of the September 5th meeting notes.
Highlights of: “Money Follows the Person”
Demonstration Grants and Considerations for North Carolina
- $1.75 billion over five years is available to states under this demonstration grant opportunity.
- The purpose of the grant is 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.
- Applications must come from the State Medicaid Agency.
- Stakeholders must be involved in the design and decision making process for the grant.
- Demonstration grant funds will provide enhanced federal financial participation rates (FFP) for Medicaid services provided to individual Medicaid recipients who are transitioned from an institution to the community as part of this grant. The enhanced rates can be applied to the individual’s services up to 12 months following transition to the community setting.
- An institution is defined as an inpatient facility (this would not include adult care homes).
- To get the enhanced FFP for the Medicaid services, individuals must transition to a qualified residence: 1) a home owned or leased by the individual or the individual’s family member; 2) an apartment with an individual lease, lockable access and egress, includes separate living, sleeping, bathing and cooking areas over which the individual or individual’s family has domain and control; or 3) a residence, in a community-based residential setting, in which no more than 4 unrelated individuals reside.
- Grant funds can be used not only for alternatives to institutional care services, such as home health care; they can also be used for home modification costs, respite services to augment informal or unpaid caregivers, personal care and assistive devices.
- States are encouraged to coordinate with local and state housing authorities to provide coordinated assistance for community-based housing needs.
- Each state awarded a grant must continue to provide community services after the year of enhanced match as long as the person needs community services and is Medicaid eligible. Services may be provided through the community waiver programs or through regular Medicaid state plan services.
- States that receive the grant funds may take up to 12 months of pre-implementation to engage in formal planning and to work out the design details prior to actual implementation of the transitions process.
- The deadline for the application is Nov. 1, 2006. Demonstration grants will be competitively awarded to states from Jan. 1, 2007 through Sept. 30, 2011. Funds will be available for a five-year period.
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