New Report: Medicaid’s Role in Transforming the Long-Term Care System

​A new report, Medicaid Forward: Long-term Services and Supports, from the National Association of Medicaid Directors, describes the stark realities facing our long-term care system, and opportunities for state Medicaid leaders and their federal partners to respond. The report specifically focuses on how states can use the recent investments Congress made in the American Rescue Plan Act to support this work. In this law, Congress made an initial investment of more than $9 billion to expand access to home- and community-based services and to strengthen the direct care workforce.

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The report elevates strategies that states – in partnership with the federal government – can take to strengthen long-term care and better ensure the safety, independence, and choice for people who rely on these critical supports. It focuses on four immediate opportunities for action:

• Supporting and strengthening the workforce in nursing homes and home- and community-based services,
• Supporting individuals’ natural supports, like family and friends,
• Greater use of telehealth and assistive technology, and
• Refocusing the system on person-centered outcomes and quality improvement. 
  

​Click here to read the report.