Boot Camp: Understanding and Accessing Long-Term Supports & Services
Virtual - Friday, November 8, 2024
11:00 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.
Welcome & Announcements
Craig Reaves
11:15 a.m. - 12:05 p.m.
Things to Know About Long-Term Supports and Services
Elizabeth Moran
Long-term services and supports (LTSS) are vital to the quality of life and arguably, the civil and human rights of millions of Americans. Studies show that of persons turning age 65 today, more than 50% will need some form of LTSS in the future. In many cases, LTSS are funded through Medicaid, the quality and financing of which are largely dependent not only on Medicaid laws, but also policies and practices of the state Medicaid agency. Join Elizabeth Moran, Executive Director of The Arc of Colorado, for this overview and discussion of LTSS, who is entitled to them, and exploring the complex landscape of LTSS in both home and community-based services and institutional care.
12:05 p.m. - 12:55 p.m.
Government Benefits and its Role in Paying for LTSS
Christopher Smith
Eligibility for certain government benefit programs (primarily Social Security and Medicaid) is the initial key necessary to unlock access to most long-term care supports and services. In this session, we will explore the disability criteria for eligibility for these programs and key concepts for financial eligibility for these programs, including income, asset, and deeming criteria.
12:55 p.m. - 1:05 p.m.
Break
1:05 p.m. - 1:55 p.m.
Medicaid Right to Reimbursement and Special Needs Trusts
Bridget O'Brien Swartz
This session will discuss the requirement under federal law that a first party special needs trust provide for reimbursement to Medicaid upon termination of the trust. What on its face appears to be a straightforward matter is far from it. The implications of Medicaid’s status as a beneficiary versus creditor, distinctions among the various types of special needs trusts, for what Medicaid can seek to be reimbursed and at what rate, as well as how the right to reimbursement from a special needs trust is distinct from estate recovery will highlight the complexities of what is required under the law and the importance of understanding it as well as counseling clients about this requirement before they make a decision to enter into such an arrangement.
1:55 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.
The Intersection of Long-Term Care and Housing
Blaine Brockman
Effective long-term care in community settings requires three essential supports; heath care, financial support, and housing. Like a three-legged stool, without one of these supports, everything fails. This session will give you an overview of housing programs administered by Medicaid agencies, HUD, local organizations and others in order to become comfortable advocating for long term care related housing needs.
2:45 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.
Break
3:15 p.m. - 4:05 p.m.
Medicaid Waivers: The Intersection of State and Federal Law
Mark Shalloway
This session will explore the role of Medicaid waivers in funding Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS). It delves into the intricacies of these waivers, outlining their purpose, eligibility criteria, and the process states must undergo to obtain federal approval. The program also highlights the challenges associated with waiting lists, providing a realistic view of access to services.
4:05 p.m. - 4:55 p.m.
Q&A Session with Boot Camp Speakers
Pre-Recorded
Does Managed Care Work?
Will Lucius
An increasing number of states are providing LTSS through managed care waivers in an effort to control costs and increase services, but is this model working? A brief history of the managed care model as a Medicaid delivery system will be explored, followed by a discussion on the impact that the competing goals of cost containment and increased health services utilization has on the long-term viability of the managed care model. This topic will conclude with a survey of the challenges and successes that States and Medicaid enrollees have experienced through the delivery of Medicaid managed care.