Programs to meet elderly and disabled Medicaid recipients’ changing needs and to better support those who wish to move from institutions to community-based care are among a handful of opportunities recently discussed by a state advisory committee on long term care.
Led by Alabama Medicaid Commissioner Carol Steckel, committee chair, and State Sen. Linda Coleman (D-Birmingham), co-chair, the Long Term Care (LTC) Rebalancing Advisory Committee has been exploring innovative programs to allow some facility patients to receive care at home.
Marilyn Chappelle, director of the Agency’s Long Term Care division, stated during the August 23 meeting that the committee has examined several options to give patients access to the most appropriate level of care.
“It’s important that patients receive the necessary care, regardless of setting,” said Chappelle. “If patients can remain in their homes and still receive the same high-level care as they would in a long term care facility, then we should enable them to stay at home.”
One of the committee’s recommended programs is already underway; the Programs for All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) project, which provides community-based services to patients eligible for nursing facility services, is currently under development in the Mobile area and expects to launch in October 2011. The PACE project is unique in that the provider receives a capitated payment and is in turn responsible for total patient care including doctor, hospital, and nursing home care along with medications, lab tests and other services that are necessary to meet the needs of the PACE participant.
Another program endorsed by the committee is an Alabama Community Transition (ACT) waiver, which would target those who desire to return to the community. In its recommendation, the committee said an ACT waiver will “promote consumer directed options intended to give individuals the opportunity to have greater control and choice in identifying, accessing and managing their long-term care services and supports.” The waiver would also include services designed for transitioning individuals into home and community-based care.
A third program that allows patients to receive care at home has also been discussed by the committee. The Service Options Using Resources in a Community Environment (SOURCE) program enables aged, blind and disabled individuals to receive Medicaid-funded services without entering an institution. The program links primary medical care and case management with providers of approved long-term health services in a person’s home or community to prevent hospital and nursing home care.
The LTC Rebalancing Advisory Committee was formed after the passage of Senate Joint Resolution 84 during the 2009 Legislative Session. For more information on the committee and its actions, click here.