Information Bulletin # 255 (7/08).
Texas has compiled impressive data regarding its commitment to move people
out of nursing facilities, and its Medicaid expenditures reflect its
efforts.
Between 9/1/2001 and 5/31/2008, Texas implemented its own "Money Follows
the Person," and did not wait for or need the federal program. During
these years, Texas moved 15,626 people out of its nursing homes.
Here are some interesting demographics:
43% or 6,719 people were 64 years old or younger;
53% or 8,282 people were 65 or older.
Of the total, 27% or 4,219 people were 85 years old or older.
67 % or 10,469 people moved from the nursing facility to either live
alone or live with family members or other people.
A breakdown of the 67 % shows that 22% or 3,438 people left the
nursing facility to live alone, and 45 % or 7,032 people moved in with
their families, relatives, or others .
28% or 4,375 people live in assisted living and 5% or 781 people live
in a group homes (adult foster).
Now let's look at how Texas allocated its Medicaid expenditures:
In FY 2001, Texas spent 70.6% of its long-term care Medicaid funds on
nursing homes. In FY 2006, it reduced its nursing home expenditures to
54.6%.
Conversely, in FY 2001, it spent only 29.4% of its long-term MA funds
on waivers and other community-based services. In FY 2006, it spent 45.6%
in the community.
Big surprise. There is a relationship between how a state spends its money
and whether or not people moved out of nursing facilities.
To determine if your state is truly committed to ending unnecessary
institutionalization of people with disabilities in nursing facilities,
and therefore ending discrimination against people with disabilities, look
at how your state allocates its Medicaid "long-term care" expenditures.
Look at the numbers of persons who moved out of nursing facilities and
returned to the community. After the 1999 Supreme Court decision in
Olmstead, many disability and elderly advocates waited to see how their
states would implement the "integration mandate." Well, it's been nine
years!
Disability and older American advocates:
Do you know how many people in your state have been moved out of
nursing facilities and where they moved to? Do you state officials know
this information? Can you or they find out? Since Texas can track this
information, other states probably can and do, too.
In Information Bulletin # 251, we calculated by state the changes in
long-term care expenditures from 1999 thru 2006, and we expect to have the
FY 2007 data available soon.
