Efforts to Enhance Availability and Quality of Managed Long Term Care

State interest in managed long term care is growing nationally. For the purposes of this Task Order, long term care includes institutional and community-based services identified in 1905(a) of the Social Security Act (the Act), as well as Home and Community based Services (HCBS) available through either 1915(c) or 1915(i) of the Act. Managed long-term care provides states numerous options for the delivery of these services, including providing for prepayment and capitation, risk sharing arrangements and well-designed contract incentives that may aid a state in shifting toward more community-based care. The contractor will work carefully with the Project Officer to ensure the coordinated efforts with other Contractors working on similar subject matter, as well as to ensure the consistent conveyance of CMS rule and policy. This project is an essential step in raising the level of expertise within CMS and states around mechanisms and strong practices for managed long-term care/HCBS. With the demographic phenomena facing the federal government and the states alike, CMS must clearly identify tools and develop expertise in the area of managed long-term care/HCBS.