Funds to Address Long-Term Care Needs

By Mary Jimenez, The Shreveport Times

July 10, 2007

The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) recently learned the state will receive up to $30.9 million in federal funds to increase home and community-based services for people with disabilities or who have long-term care needs.

“The Money Follows the Person” grant is from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

“This is a continuation of a long-term care reform that actually started in 2005,” said Kathy Kliebert, assistant secretary with the Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities. “The major focus is transition people from the large facilities back into the community. People can live in their homes, with family members or other people.”

There are nine state-operated developmental centers which provide residential services (large and small facilities and group homes, and community homes) and resources for treatment. The Northwest Louisiana Developmental Center is in Bossier City .

“It’s a great opportunity. Most people in an institution don’t need 24-7 care,” said Rebecca Thomas, administrator of the Region 7 Community Services Office for OCDD located in Bossier City . “We’ve already helped a lot of people transition out with a similar program.”

The New Opportunities Waiver that has been in place for several years waives the Medicaid requirement that a person be in an institution to access Medicaid benefits they need.

“Someone actually goes into their home and provides those needs,” Thomas said. “This will allow more people the same type of access.”

The state will receive up to $524,000 in the first year for start-up and administrative costs, and a total of $30.9 million over the five-year life of the grant.

“As part of the grant we are training staff in the regions to notify them of the program,” said Kliebert who is working with the Office of Aging and Adult Services in the initiative. “These two offices are going to be developing a plan to let people know about the opportunity and develop waiver options that would allow them to live in their homes.”

The federal government will pay for 75 to 90 percent of the costs of transitioning individuals out of these facilities and into community settings, as well as the associated long-term care benefit costs. This will be done through a 50 percent higher-than-usual Medicaid match rate for qualified expenditures.

Kliebert expects people to start moving in 2008.