States Getting Extra Money to Shift Care Away from Nursing Homes
August 27, 2010 - Policy Briefs
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) creates a “Balancing Incentive Payment Program” for Medicaid, giving states extra money from the federal government, “if they commit to shifting more of their Medicaid Long-term Services and Supports spending toward non-institutional care,” according to the April 10, 2010 issue brief, “Medicaid Long-term Supports and Services Provisions in the Health Care Reform Law,” by the National Senior Citizens Law Center (NSCLC).
The law also “creates a new community-based option for individuals otherwise eligible for Medicaid institutional coverage,” the NSCLC said. This extends through 2016 a federal program called “Money Follows the Person,” which gives individuals the opportunity to select the care they will receive.