The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services today announced that Minnesota will receive $187.4 million to improve community services and support people in their homes rather than institutions. These new dollars will help DHS provide more individualized care for some of Minnesota’s most vulnerable residents. First-year funding is $13.4 million.
The funding, part of the Affordable Care Act administered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, is a Money Follows the Person demonstration program. While the program has operated for five years, Minnesota had not applied for the funding until Gov. Mark Dayton directed state agencies to more aggressively pursue opportunities for health reform funding.
According to Minnesota Human Services Commissioner Lucinda Jesson, the funds will be used to:
• Simplify and improve the effectiveness of transition services that help people return to their homes after hospital or nursing facility stays
• Advance promising practices to better serve individuals with complex needs.
• Increase stability of individuals in the community by strengthening connections among healthcare, community support and housing systems.
• Decrease reliance on institutional care and increase use of HCBS by setting priorities to address specific institutional needs for reform, beginning with ICFs/MR and children’s psychiatric placements.
“This grant is a great opportunity for DHS to provide more value to our clients. With it we are able to better provide more individual choice while at the same time streamlining the home and community-based service delivery system,” Jesson said.
