Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced that Connecticut is receiving a
$24.2 million federal grant to pioneer new ways of helping people move
from nursing facilities and other institutions to life at home with
family and friends.  The initiative has become known in Connecticut as
Money Follows the Person.

“This represents a tremendous step forward in our efforts to help
people with disabilities and their families,” Governor Rell said.
“The idea is to use Medicaid dollars as flexibly as possible to
give people more choices about their living situation.

“People depend on Medicaid eligibility to put a roof over their head
and provide them with services.  Now, we can help get more people home
by arranging support like 24-hour, in-home care, which Medicaid has not
traditionally paid for.

“We want to do everything we can to help people achieve a more
independent lifestyle.  That means giving people more choices about
their living situation.  It means enabling them to return home to their
families and their communities.  This approach will be cost-effective
for taxpayers and lead to wonderful improvements in the quality of life
for many of our seniors and people with disabilities.”

Connecticut’s grant application to the federal government, prepared
by the Department of Social Services, projects that 700 people with
disabilities will be able to transition from nursing homes to the
community over the next five years.  The federal funding will total
$24.2 million during that period, with $1.3 million allocated for 2007.

Governor Rell praised the efforts of Southington resident Joseph
Stango in championing the Money Follows the Person concept in
Connecticut.  “Joe’s work in raising awareness at the Legislature
and throughout the state was critical in getting Money Follows the
Person off the ground,” the Governor said.  “His goal to bring his
mother home to live with him is a true labor of love that now should
help hundreds of Connecticut residents.”

The most notable expense to be newly covered by Medicaid through the
initiative is 24-hour, live-in assistance.  Also covered are personal
management, home alterations to accommodate wheelchairs and other
medical equipment needs and other support services.

Last year, the Governor and General Assembly authorized a state
application for the ‘Money Follows the Person Rebalancing
Demonstration Grant,’ as offered by the federal Centers for Medicare
and Medicaid Services.  Medicaid is jointly funded by the federal and
state governments as a health-care safety net for people with very low
incomes and financial assets. 

Under the Money Follows the Person initiative, the federal government
will provide increased Medicaid funding, reimbursing the state for 75
percent of costs for the first year back in the community, instead of
the customary 50 percent.  Essentially, the enhanced federal support is
a financial incentive for states to reduce reliance on expensive
institutional care for Medicaid recipients. 

The program will serve individuals with physical disabilities, mental
illness and mental retardation, ranging in age from children to
elderly.
Options for residence in the community will include the person’s own
home, a family home, apartment, and congregate housing such as assisted
living.

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Director Dennis G. Smith
said, “We expect that these demonstration grants will greatly enhance
[Connecticut’s] efforts to rebalance your long-term support system so
that individuals have a choice of where they live and receive
services.”

Governor Rell noted that the Money Follows the Person approval follows
the recent federal award of a $5.1 million Medicaid ‘infrastructure
grant’ to boost employment opportunities for citizens with
disabilities in Connecticut.

      In addition, the Governor noted a range of initiatives on behalf
of people with disabilities in recent years, including:

expansion of the Connecticut Home Care Program for Elders to include
personal assistance services and assisted living initiatives;
40% increase of slots on Connecticut’s Personal Care Assistance
Waiver;
prioritization of HUD Section 8 and Rental Assistance Programs for
those transitioning from institutions to community living;
targeted initiatives for home modifications to make apartments
available for individuals with disabilities, supported by state bond
funding; and
extension beyond age 65 of the state’s Medicaid buy-in program
(termed Medicaid for the Employed Disabled program) for working
individuals with disabilities.