Understanding Medicaid Home and Community Services: A Primer

This Primer is designed to encourage use of the Medicaid program in a manner that minimizes reliance on institutions and maximizes community integration in a cost-effective manner. Its intended audience is policymakers and others who wish to understand how Medicaid can be used — and is being used — to expand access to a broad range of home and community-based services and supports, and to promote consumer choice and control. In addition to comprehensive explanations of program features states can implement to achieve these goals, the Primer presents examples of state programs that have taken advantage of Medicaid's flexibility to expand home and community-based services for people of all ages with disabilities. [247 PDF pages]