Capitol Correspondence - 04.29.19

Kaiser Family Foundation Reviews State Policy Choices on HCBS

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ANCOR is sharing this issue brief (summary here) by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) because many of our members provide Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) to people with intellectual / developmental disabilities (I/DD). It is important for our members to stay informed of the larger policy environment surrounding HCBS programs, particularly as ideas that start in one state can be adopted in another down the line.

The trends identified by KFF are:

  • States are using Medicaid HCBS to advance community integration and counter the historical bias toward institutional care.
  • States are using newer HCBS state plan authorities, including Section 1915 (i) and Community First Choice (CFC), to expand or augment the populations and services they are covering under waivers.
  • States are continuing to make policy changes in response to key federal regulations affecting HCBS.

KFF concludes the brief stating that “As the primary payer for LTSS and the only source of many HCBS important to the daily needs and independent living of seniors and people with disabilities and chronic illnesses, Medicaid will continue to play an important role in this area, and state Medicaid HCBS policy choices will remain a key area to watch.”