Hilltop Presents at Focus on Reform Meeting

Hilltop Executive Director Charles Milligan participated in a meeting for congressional and federal staff hosted by the National Health Policy Forum on October 29, 2010, in Washington, D.C. This meeting, the seventh of the Focus on Reform series providing an in-depth look at various components of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and related implementation and operational issues, was entitled Medicaid Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) Provisions in PPACA. The session provided an overview of the Medicaid LTSS provisions enacted as part of the ACA, including the Community First Choice and Section 1915(i) state plan options; and the balancing incentive payments (BIP) and Money Follows the Person (MFP) programs, among others. Speakers described the provisions; strategies being employed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to assist states implement the various options, and opportunities and challenges facing states in implementation of the provisions. In his presentation, Milligan discussed the growth in Medicaid expenditures for LTSS; presented the results of a Hilltop study of Medicare/Medicaid cross-payer effects that found that Medicare and Medicaid financing do not align to promote home and community-based services (HCBS); described state and federal opportunities and barriers; and forecasted the take-up of LTSS options in the ACA. To view the presentation, click here.

November 5, 2010