The Department of Health & Human Services has finalized its Community First Choice rule, a new state plan option under Medicaid, and announced the participants in the Independence At Home Demonstration, which encourages primary care practices to provide home-based care to chronically ill Medicare patients.
The final Community First Choice Option rule gives states choosing to participate in that option a six-percentage point increase in Medicaid matching funds for providing community-based support services to beneficiaries who would otherwise be confined to nursing homes or other institutions.
HHS also named the first 16 participants of the new Independence at Home Demonstration out of more than 130 applicants. The demonstration is scheduled to begin June 1, 2012, and conclude May 31, 2015.
The demo is voluntary for Medicare beneficiaries and provides a range of in-home primary care services to the chronically ill. Under the demo, CMS will partner with primary care practices led by physicians or nurse practitioners to evaluate the extent to which delivering services in a home setting is effective. Up to 10,000 Medicare patients with chronic conditions will be able to get most of the care they need at home.
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The final Community First Choice Option rule gives states choosing to participate in that option a six-percentage point increase in Medicaid matching funds for providing community-based support services to beneficiaries who would otherwise be confined to nursing homes or other institutions.
HHS also named the first 16 participants of the new Independence at Home Demonstration out of more than 130 applicants. The demonstration is scheduled to begin June 1, 2012, and conclude May 31, 2015.
The demo is voluntary for Medicare beneficiaries and provides a range of in-home primary care services to the chronically ill. Under the demo, CMS will partner with primary care practices led by physicians or nurse practitioners to evaluate the extent to which delivering services in a home setting is effective. Up to 10,000 Medicare patients with chronic conditions will be able to get most of the care they need at home.
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