Of special interest to advocates for Medicaid beneficiaries who need long term services and supports, a new special report from the National Senior Citizens Law Center entitled A Review and Analysis of Recent CMS Waiver Approvals in New Jersey and New York has just been released.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently approved Section 1115 demonstration waivers submitted by the two states that will transition the delivery of Medicaid-funded long-term services and supports (LTSS) from a fee-for-service model to a managed care model.
State and federal policymakers, managed care organizations, health care providers and beneficiary advocates are engaging in conversations about how best to design MLTSS programs. Advocates emphasize the need for strong consumer protections to ensure that emphasis on cost savings does not limit access to care.
This paper provides a summary of how each new waiver addresses key elements of a MLTSS program and provides brief analysis of those approaches.