New Managed Care Policy on Money Follows the Person

Last week, the Department of Health (DOH) posted MLTC Policy 1604: Money Follows the Person (MFP). This policy is to inform all Managed Long Term Care (MLTC) plans of the additional support available through MFP and the required role of the plans in this collaboration.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) approved in 2007 New York´s application to participate in the Money Follows the Person Rebalancing Demonstration Program (MFP). The goal of the MFP Demonstration is to help transition eligible individuals from long-term institutions like nursing facilities into qualified community-based settings. MFP started about the same time as the Nursing Home Transition and Diversion (NHTD) Medicaid waiver and worked with NHTD in helping many participants transition back to the community.

As stated in this new policy, MLTC plans are required to:

• Include an “MFP Attestation for Enrollment Agreement” in the plan’s existing Enrollment Agreement;
• Include specific language describing MFP in the plan’s handbook; and
• Review “NYS Money Follows the Person Guidance for Managed Care Organizations” and share it with all appropriate plan staff, including Care Managers, to encourage recommended practices.

DOH also recommends that MLTC plans review relationships with network nursing home providers and consider amending subcontracts to encourage collaboration to gain access to MFP.

Contact: Cheryl Udell, cudell@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8871 or Darius Kirstein, dkirstein@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8841