Content by Keyword: Long-Term Care Facilities

The data were reported by state licensing agencies. Partial information was reported for some categories in Delaware, Kentucky, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, New Mexico and West Virginia. (See Table 2-1 in Section 2 for each state's information.) While these numbers do not include facilities licensed by state Mental Retardation/Developmental

Both federal and state governments recognize that, in order to reduce costly institutionalization, a range of supportive housing and service options is needed. An increasing number of persons 65 and older who can no longer live independently view assisted living as a preferred alternative to nursing home care, or as a means to forestall admission

At first glance, it appears that states are paying markedly different rates for services, suggesting that some states may not be paying rates that are adequate to meet residents' service needs. However, it is not possible to compare service rates across states due to significant differences in their admission and retention criteria for residential

Cost-based reimbursement pays the facility for aggregate costs incurred for Medicaid eligible residents for allowable services.

Several states have adopted payment systems based on their nursing home case-mix methodology. Like tiered rate approaches, the case-mix approach creates incentives to serve more impaired residents by linking reimbursement to the level of care needed. Case-mix approaches typically have more categories that tiered rates. The case-mix approach requir

States may vary its flat rates for different types of residential care settings. Texas pays a higher rate for apartment and other private occupancy settings, reflecting the states' preference for these settings. Varying rates by setting may reflect differences in the average level of resident service needs in each setting. For example, a state may

Under a flat rate system, providers receive the same monthly payment regardless of the amount of services and staff assistance a resident requires. As in the health care system, flat rates for residential care create incentives for facilities to admit residents with lighter care needs, not those with multiple impairments in ADLs, cognitive impairm

The extent to which low-income older people have access to residential care settings as an alternative to nursing homes depends in large part on the extent to which states use Medicaid to cover services in these settings and providers' views on the adequacy of Medicaid's service reimbursement rates. In addition to the amount of the payment, the re

Some states may not determine eligibility for services until financial eligibility has been determined, a process that can take up to 45 days. An extended time frame for determining Medicaid eligibility can be a major deterrent to participation in the Medicaid program, because providers will generally not want to admit someone if they are unsure a

About half of the states limit the amount that facilities can charge Medicaid beneficiaries for room and board--usually to an amount equal to the federal SSI payment plus a state supplement (if offered). Others do not restrict the amount that can be charged, but providers need to understand their states' income eligibility rules and cost sharing r

Some states have long waiting lists for waiver services, which can present a significant obstacle to serving Medicaid beneficiaries in assisted living. If waiver slots are not available, Medicaid-eligible persons who cannot be served at home will need to enter a nursing home (if they meet the state's nursing home level of care criteria) and the as

As discussed earlier, states can cover services in residential care settings through a waiver program that provides services in the full range of home and community settings, or through a waiver that covers services only in residential care settings. The type of waiver can affect the pattern of referrals. States that include assisted living as one

State plan services are an entitlement and all beneficiaries who meet the service requirements must be served. Personal care is the most common service covered in residential care settings under the state plan, but New York combines payments for personal care, home health services, including skilled therapies. States that do not already cover pers

The growth of assisted living has sparked interest in developing or expanding assisted living for elderly persons with low-incomes. However, facilities may be reluctant to participate in the Medicaid program if they are unsure they will have a reliable source of potential residents and payments. Housing providers and lenders need to project revenu

States have the option of covering medically needy beneficiaries under their Medicaid programs. The medically needy are persons who, except for income, would qualify in one of the other Medicaid eligibility categories (such as being over age 65 or meeting SSI disability criteria). Medicaid payments can begin for this group once they have "spent do

The use of food stamps to pay for meals subsidizes the board component of the room and board cost, making it more affordable for Medicaid beneficiaries and others with low incomes. USDA regulations allow meals provided in certain group living arrangements to elderly, blind, or disabled residents to be supported by food stamps (7 CFR §271.2). Grou

Family members may be able and willing to help with room and board costs when the beneficiary is unable to pay them. As presented in Table 1-12, 21 states reported that they allow family supplementation, and nine states have not set a policy on this issue. Twelve states do not allow supplementation compared to fourteen in 2002 and eight in 2000. T

States have the option to cover persons in an HCBS waiver program using the special income standard, which sets eligibility at up to 300 percent of the federal SSI payment (i.e., a person's income must be at or below 300 percent of the maximum SSI benefit--in 2004, $1692 per month). This option is attractive for waiver programs that cover services

Many states are exploring ways to combine Medicaid funding and subsidized housing to develop residential care options for low-income persons. Housing subsidies can reduce housing costs for Medicaid beneficiaries and other low-income persons, and are available through a number of programs:

To increase access for SSI beneficiaries in areas with high development costs, states can create a special SSI state supplement for persons in residential care facilities and limit what providers may charge to the amount of the federal payment plus the state supplement. 28 Many states have such State Supplemental Payment (SSP) programs to supplem