Kaiser Family Foundation Reports Examine Medicaid’s Long-Term Care Issues in the Deficit Reduction Act
New Reports on Deficit Reduction Act, Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured: KCMU recently released five reports that examine Medicaid's long-term care issues that were addressed by the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, which became law in February. "Medicaid Long-Term Services Reforms in the Deficit Reduction Act" provides an overview of the changes to the rules and direction of Medicaid long-term care services under the DRA. "Asset Transfer and Nursing Home Use: Empirical Evidence and Policy Significance" examines asset transfer patterns of nursing home residents, finding that when the DRA asset transfer rules are applied to the six-year period that was examined, federal saving to Medicaid could amount to $1.87 billion. "Beyond Cash and Counseling: An Inventory of Individual Budget-Based Community Long-Term Care Programs" examines the evolution of beneficiary-managed home- and community-based services and provides an overview of state activity as of January. Under the DRA, states have the option to use this model to expand home- and community-based services without obtaining a Medicaid waiver. "Nursing Home Transition Programs: Perspectives of State Medicaid Officials" and "Nursing Home Transition Programs: Perspectives of Medicaid Care Planners" compiles interviews with state Medicaid officials and care planners for insight into the issues of establishing programs to move individuals with significant long-term care needs from institutional to community settings. Florida, Louisiana, New Jersey, Ohio and Washington participated in the study, and each had varied experiences with federal grants for nursing home transition activities (Kaiser Family Foundation release, 4/17).
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