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Independent Living News & Policy from the National Council on Independent Living

Short-Term Money Follows the Person Extension Signed Into Law!

Last Friday H.R. 259, the Medicaid Extenders Act, was signed into law. The bill includes three months of funding for the Money Follows the Person (MFP) Program. As we know, three months is not enough to sustain the work of MFP, but it does provide a much needed extension while we continue our advocacy for a longer renewal. This is certainly something to be celebrated! Thank you to all of you for your work to get this done. 

Also included in the bill is an extension of the Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Medicaid spousal impoverishment protections. Spousal impoverishment protections protect a portion of a married couple’s income and assets when one individual needs Medicaid long term services and supports. Historically, spousal impoverishment protections only applied if one spouse was institutionalized, but a provision of the Affordable Care Act changed that so they also apply to Medicaid HCBS. That provision expired, so this bill provides a needed short-term extension (through March 31, 2019) while advocacy for a long-term extension continues.

Thank you for all of your work to get this bill passed!

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Comments

  1. Amy Mcintyre says

    I need help. I am disabled and returned to in 7/10/17. In 10/1/18 I lost my benefit payments. On 1/1/19 i stoped getting help with cost of my prescriptions. On 1/1/19 my Medical costs became $821, which incluDE premiums, prescriptions, and deductibles. I am losing my Medicare on 1/30/19 because I cannot afford it. Is there anybody that can help me?