Money Follows the Person (MFP) Rebalancing Demonstration

The Family & Social Services Administration’s Division of Aging received a demonstration grant from the federal government and is moving closer to implementation. The demonstration is designed to eliminate barriers or mechanisms, whether in the State law, the State Medicaid plan, the State budget, or otherwise, that prevent or restrict the flexible use of Medicaid funds to enable Medicaid-eligible individuals to receive support for appropriate and necessary long-term services in the settings of their choice.

There are two primary goals of the demonstration:

• Rebalancing - Increase the use of home and community-based services, rather than institutional, so that individuals have a choice of where they live and receive services.
• Transitioning – transitioning individuals who have indicated a desire to move into the community from qualified institutions (6 months – 2 years).
  Indiana
• Was awarded $21,047,402 for a five year time period to promote a strategic approach to implement a system that provides person centered, appropriate, needs based services to individuals seeking to transition.
• Plans to transition 1,039 persons over the five year period.
  • 738 Elderly
  • 55 MR/DD
  • 246 Physically Disabled
• Individuals who express an interest to transition will be identified for transition, assuming all eligibility requirements (Medicaid, HCBS) have been established.
• Individuals will move to qualified waiver (Aged/Disabled, Traumatic Brain Injury, or Developmentally Disabled) under MFP enhanced math for 12 months, after which they will retain services through the same waiver.
• A quality management strategy that ensures the provision and improvement of such services in both home and community-based settings has been established, and quality of care will be monitored through assurances and improvements.

IALFA continues to participate on the Division of Aging task force created to plan and implement this ambitious and exciting program. Some IALFA members should be qualified to participate if interested. The program is intended to begin early 2008. Watch for more information.