MEDICAID COMMUNITY ATTENDANT SERVICES and SUPPORTS ACT

What do you think about this act?

http://www.adapt.org/casaintr.htm

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"The Journey is not over until Congress passes MiCASSA."

http://www.knowonk.com/freeourpeople/MiCASSA/default.htm#sum

A brief Summary of the

MEDICAID COMMUNITY ATTENDANT SERVICES and SUPPORTS ACT S. 971 and HR 2032.

MiCASSA gives people real choice in long term services. Amending Title XIX of the Social Security Act (Medicaid), it creates an alternative service called Community Attendant Services and Supports. MiCASSA allows individuals eligible for Nursing Facility Services or Intermediate Care Facility Services for the Mentally Retarded (ICF-MR) the choice to use these dollars for "Community Attendant Services and Supports." THE MONEY FOLLOWS THE INDIVIDUAL!

Provides community attendant services and supports which range from assisting with activities of daily living (eating, toileting, grooming, dressing, bathing, transferring) instrumental activities of daily living (meal planning and preparation, managing finances, shopping, household chores, phoning, participating in the community), and health-related functions.

Includes hands-on assistance, supervision and/or cueing, as well as help to learn, keep and enhance skills to accomplish such activities.

Requires services be provided in THE MOST INTEGRATED SETTING appropriate to the needs of the individual.

Provides Community Attendant Services and Supports that are:

based on an assessment of functional need;

provided in home or community settings like -- school, work, recreation or religious facility; selected, managed and controlled by the consumer of the services; supplemented with backup and emergency attendant services;

furnished according to a service plan agreed to by the consumer;

and include voluntary training on selecting, managing and dismissing attendants.

MiCASSA Allows consumers to choose among various service delivery models including vouchers, direct cash payments, fiscal agents and agency providers, all of which are required to be consumer controlled.

For consumers who are not able to direct their own care independently, MiCASSA allows for "individual's representative" to be authorized by the consumer to assist. A representative might be a friend, family member, guardian, or advocate.