Institutional Level of Care Among Money Follows the Person Participants

The Money Follows the Person (MFP) Demonstration supports states’ efforts to (1) help Medicaid beneficiaries living in long-term care institutions transition back to community-based residences and (2) make long-term care services and supports more accessible. The program promotes community living for long-term institutionalized Medicaid beneficiaries, independent of the level of care required to support their health care needs. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report is the first to characterize the care needs of MFP participants who transitioned from nursing homes in 2008 and 2009, during the initial phase of the program. Using nursing home Minimum Data Set (MDS) assessment data, we compared the care needs of MFP participants with (1) a cohort of Medicaid long-stay nursing home residents who transitioned to home and community-based services (HCBS) in MFP grantee states but were not enrolled in MFP and (2) a cohort of long-stay residents in MFP states who did not transition. This report provides important information on MFP participants and the types of individuals states are targeting through this program, providing context for program outcomes. Key Findings • Among 3,891 MFP participants transitioning from nursing homes, approximately 21 percent were classified as having low care needs. The proportion of participants with low care needs varied widely by state, from a low of 3 percent (Kentucky) to a high of 72 percent (Illinois). • MFP participants were younger and were more likely to have low care needs compared to others who transitioned without the benefit of the MFP program. • MFP participants were also significantly less likely to be cognitively impaired relative to non-MFP transitioners. THE NATIONAL EVALUATION OF THE MONEY FOLLOWS THE PERSON (MFP) DEMONSTRATION GRANT PROGRAM