AR193

An Assembly Resolution urging the United States Congress to enact the “Ensuring Medicaid Provides Opportunities for Widespread Equity, Resources, and Care Act."

Whereas, The federal Money Follows the Person (MFP) Rebalancing Demonstration Grant helps senior citizens and persons with disabilities and other chronic conditions move from institutions to community-based living arrangements; and

Whereas, The goals of the MFP grant program are to allow states to: “balance” their long-term care services and supports system in order to provide home and community-based services (HCBS) to people who choose to transition from nursing home and long-term care facilities into group homes and other community-based setting; and implement quality assurance and improvement procedures for HCBS; and

Whereas, Since the grant program was established in 2005, approximately 88,000 people have transitioned from nursing home and long-term care facilities into group homes and other community-based setting, including their own homes; and

Whereas, “The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010” (PubL.111-148) (ACA) strengthened the MFP grant program by extending the program until September 2016, appropriating an additional $2.25 billion, and allowing more states to apply for funding; and

Whereas, Currently, 43 states and the District of Columbia participate in the MFP grant program; and

Whereas, A 2017 federal Department of Health and Human Services Report to the President and to the United States Congress found strong evidence that a person’s quality of life improves when they transition from institutional long-term care to HCBS; and

Whereas, Providing long term care in the home for senior citizens and persons with disabilities and other chronic conditions cost less than providing such persons with institutional care; and

Whereas, Average monthly expenses for MFP participants declined by $1,840 (23 percent) in the first year after transitioning from a nursing home to HCBS; and

Whereas, MFP participants are less likely to be readmitted to institutional care than other beneficiaries who transition but do not participate in the program; and

Whereas, The “Ensuring Medicaid Provides Opportunities for Widespread Equity, Resources, and Care Act,” (EMPOWER Care Act) (H.R.5306), introduced by United States Representative Brett Guthrie, would provide $450 million in funding to renew the MFP grant program through Fiscal Year 2022; and

Whereas, The EMPOWER Care Act also broadens the eligibility requirements for the program to include people who live in institutions for 60 consecutive days, instead of 90 days, as originally provided in the MFP grant program; and

Whereas, The MFP grant program removes barriers for senior citizens and persons with disabilities and other chronic conditions who wish to transition from institutional care into community-based settings and assists states in achieving cost-efficiencies in their Medicaid programs while simultaneously enhancing opportunities for people who wish to live independently and with dignity in their homes and communities; and

Whereas, The enactment of the EMPOWER Care Act will extend the MFP grant program through Fiscal Year 2022 and help states in supporting Medicaid enrollee who want to transition from nursing facilities and other institutional setting back to community-based settings and in developing infrastructure to promote and enhance access to HCBS; now, therefore,

Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. This House urges the United States Congress to enact the “Ensuring Medicaid Provides Opportunities for Widespread Equity, Resources, and Care Act,” (EMPOWER Care Act) in order to extend the Money Follows People (MFP) Rebalancing Demonstration Grant through Fiscal Year 2022 and help states in supporting Medicaid enrollee who want to transition from nursing facilities and other institutional setting back to community-based settings and in developing infrastructure to promote and enhance access to home and community-based services.

2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly to the Speaker and Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives, the Majority and Minority Leaders of the United States Senate, and to each member of Congress elected from this State.

STATEMENT

This resolution urges the United States Congress to enact the “Ensuring Medicaid Provides Opportunities for Widespread Equity, Resources, and Care Act,” (EMPOWER Care Act) in order to extend the Money Follows People (MFP) Rebalancing Demonstration Grant through Fiscal Year 2022 and help states in supporting Medicaid enrollee who want to transition from nursing facilities and other institutional setting back to community-based settings and in developing infrastructure to promote and enhance access to home and community-based services.