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Long-term care facility (LTCF) cases and deaths were highest in the final two months of 2020 in many states, mirroring the spike in total COVID-19 case numbers and deaths this winter.
States are currently developing plans to access an increased federal matching rate (“FMAP”) for Medicaid HCBS spending established in the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021. In the future, states may also be able to access increased HCBS funds proposed in the Biden Administration’s American Jobs Plan and the Better Care Better Jobs Act recently introduced in Congress. This brief highlights examples of Medicaid HCBS policy changes authorized through Section 1115 demonstration waivers in…
This Background Paper presents information on the disabled population, as well as alternative definitions of disability and the resulting impact on population estimates of the disabled population. In addition, this paper presents a profile of non-elderly persons with disabilities, including work status and health insurance coverage, and concludes with a discussion of policy issues related to facilitating participation in the workforce for persons with disabilities and improving access to health insurance coverage. Background Paper (.pdf)
Individuals cannot qualify for Medicaid nursing home care or home and community-based services unless they meet their state's asset eligibility standards. Currently, states are required to examine all transfers for less than fair market value that occurred within 36 months prior to an individual's application for Medicaid. This issue paper examines the assets of elderly people living in the community, focusing on those most at risk of using nursing home care. The paper finds that…
Dual Eligibles: Medicaid's Role in Filling Medicare's Gaps - Issue Brief This paper presents a profile of dual eligible beneficiaries (those qualifying for both Medicare and Medicaid), describes their health care expenditures, and analyzes the distribution of spending on the population. Issue Paper (.pdf)
Medicaid’s Rehabilitation Services Option: Overview and Current Policy Issues In 2007, the President reintroduced a plan to place new restrictions on the types of services allowable under the Medicaid rehabilitation services option (called the rehab option) to yield federal budget savings of $2.29 billion over the next five years. Currently, 47 states plus the District of Columbia provide at least some type of mental health, substance abuse, and physical health services under the rehab option.…
This Medicaid primer provides an overview of the nation's largest health coverage program, which covers more than 62 million low-income individuals, including children and families, people with disabilities and seniors who are also covered by Medicare. Medicaid also is the dominant source of the country’s long-term care financing. The program will expand significantly under the Affordable Care Act in 2014.
This brief examines recent state trends in Medicaid behavioral health coverage and payment and state coverage of select treatment models for people with serious mental illness—a population that has historically faced significant barriers to care. This includes details about coverage of Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) (as a provider type), Assertive Community Treatment (ACT), and Coordinated Specialty Care for First Episode Psychosis (CSC-FEP).
This data note discusses the impact of the 2025 reconciliation law on nursing facilities and examines the characteristics of nursing facilities and the people living in them with data from Nursing Home Compare, a publicly available dataset.
The Money Follows the Person (MFP) demonstration provides enhanced federal matching funds, allowing states to better support Medicaid long-term services and supports beneficiaries in transitioning from institutions back to the community. This report highlights 2013 MFP enrollment and spending trends and services and supports offered across state MFP demonstrations.
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