A Chronology of “Money Follows the Person”
in Connecticut
2005
Discouraged that Medicaid would not cover the cost of home care for his
83-year-old mother, Southbury resident Joseph Stango begins meeting with state legislators to discuss the possibility of a Medicaid “portability” program in Connecticut.
2006
JANUARY
Joe Stango requests State Representative Arthur J. O’Neill, R-Southbury to submit legislation allowing portability of Medicaid benefits in Connecticut.
MARCH
Stango purchases time on Waterbury radio station WATR to get his Medicaid portability message out to the public. Among those recording public service announcements in support of reform are Waterbury Chamber of Commerce President Steve Sasala and Waterbury Mayor Michael J. Jarjura.
In a three-day public campaign, Stango of collects 700 letters of support from the elderly and children of elderly parents for Medicaid portability.
Stango, accompanied by his wheel-chair-bound mother, testifies in front of the legislature’s Human Services Committee in support of portability legislation.
APRIL
State officials learn that Connecticut is eligible to participate in a $1.75 billion federal Money Follows the Person competitive grant program that will award funds to states to test the viability of using Medicaid funds for home care.
Stango requests that the State Department of Social Services submit a request to tap into the new federal grant pool by applying to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS).
The legislature’s Human Services Committee unanimously approves the grant application language.
JUNE
Connecticut lawmakers unanimously pass language authorizing the Department of Social Services to apply for a Money Follows the Person grant to cover 100 state residents over five years.
SEPTEMBER
Supporters of Money Follows the Person rally to raise public awareness of Connecticut’s grant application process. A statewide media campaign produces 12,000 letters of support from 143 communities across
Connecticut.
DSS Commissioner Patricia Coker announces that in Connecticut’s grant application for MFP she will increase the transition target from 100 to 700 people and seek additional grant money from the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid.
2007
JANUARY
Gov. Jodi Rell announces Connecticut’s acceptance for participation in the Money Follows the Person initiative with a $24.2 million federal grant. The grant will broaden the use of Medicaid funds in the home setting to cover more extensive needs, including 24-hour live-in assistance, personal management, home alterations to accommodate wheelchair and other medical equipment needs and other supportive services.
February
Advocates for Medicaid Choice in Connecticut (AMCC) is formed by Stango and other supporters of the need for broader use of Medicaid funding for
home care.
Advocates for Medicaid Choice in Connecticut (AMCC) begin advocating for a policy change at the legislature to lift the cap on the current 700 participants over five years. The change would reflect the higher participation rates in other states participating in the federal Money Follows the Person initiative.
AMCC also begins advocating for start-up funding for an Age and Disability Resource Center, a one-stop clearing house for expert information on all matters related to Medicaid benefits in Connecticut.
APRIL
Bishop Peter A. Rosazza, Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford, announces the Archdiocese’s support of Money Follows the Person in Connecticut, describing Medicaid Choice as a “basic human right.”
Religious leaders, led by Bishop Rosazza, gather for a press conference in Waterbury to announce their interdenominational support for “lifting the cap” on the Money Follows the Person in Connecticut. By removing the cap, Money Follows the Person would be available to a greater number of Medicaid-qualified individuals in Connecticut.
JUNE
The state legislature fails to make a policy change that would lift the cap on the Money Follows the Person participation in Connecticut. The number of individuals served over five years remains at 700.
The state legislature unanimously passes the Age and Disability Resource Center.
The University of Connecticut Health Center releases its report “Connecticut Long-Term Care Needs Assessment” which calls for a strategic “rebalancing” of care-giving resources for the elderly, including more emphasis on home care and less reliance on institutional care.
SEPTEMBER - Advocates for Medicaid Choice announces its legislative agenda for the 2008 legislative session . |
