Governor Kaine Announces $28 Million Federal Grant to Promote Community-Based Care For Elderly, Disabled
– Goal is to transition at least 1,000 people from institutional settings –
RICHMOND – Governor Timothy M. Kaine announced today that Virginia has been awarded a four-year, $28.6 million “Money Follows the Person” demonstration grant by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The federal funding will help the Commonwealth design services and programs to transition at least 1,000 seniors and adults and children with disabilities from institutions, such as nursing facilities, into appropriate community-based housing. The federal grant will extend from May 2008 through September 2011.
“Our seniors and Virginians with disabilities should be able to experience many of the same benefits and freedoms of everyday life that all of us enjoy,” Governor Kaine said. “By developing additional services and housing options for these individuals, this project will help us promote choice, quality, and flexibility as we continue to work to improve our infrastructure for community-based, long-term support services.”
The “Money Follows the Person” demonstration program is a $1.75 billion federal initiative designed to help states rebalance their long term care systems by shifting funding and services from institutions to the community, where it generally is less expensive to serve individuals. This includes an enhanced 75% federal match in home and community-based waiver services for the first year for each individual that transitions into the community. The current federal match is 50% for waiver services.
The grant will be administered through the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS), in partnership with the Virginia Secretary of Health and Human Resources, the Office of Community Integration for People with Disabilities, and other relevant state agencies and stakeholder groups.
At the end of the four-year grant period, the Commonwealth will add one-time transitional funding to the Medicaid home and community-based services waiver programs, which allows people to transition more easily back into their homes and communities; create a consumer-directed supported employment option for some Medicaid-funded home and community-based waiver programs; add services such as environmental modifications and assistive technology to the existing Medicaid waiver programs; and provide transition coordinators to assist individuals in moving to the community.
In addition, Governor Kaine also announced that a Housing Task Force, chaired jointly by the offices of the Secretary of Health and Human Resources and the Secretary of Commerce and Trade, will simultaneously address the housing needs of individuals who will move to the community under the grant.
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