Disability

Rising demand for a full array of service options and consumer preferences for home-like non-institutional settings is increasing the interest among state policy makers in adult foster care as a service for older adults. Although adult foster care may also serve individuals with developmental disabilities and other populations, the primary focus of this report is adults age 65 and older. State leaders are interested in the experience of states that developed adult foster care as part of their service array, trends in provider supply, regulations governing providers, and quality oversight practices. This report is based on the policies and practices in five states – Arizona, Maine, Oregon, Washington, and Wisconsin. The states were selected based on their approach to licensing and Medicaid coverage for this residential option.

This primer describes the basic components of the Medicaid program. It is not a technical manual. Presented in a concise question and answer format, this document explains many of the features of what can be a complicated program. It is intended to be used to help housing agencies work with Money Follows the Person Demonstration grantees but may be useful to others who want to understand the basics of Medicaid. A joint publication of the Rutgers Center for State Health Policy and the National Academy for State Health Policy. Published for the Community Living Exchange, funded by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).