Florida seniors news for Today's Seniors Network web site with local, regional and national news about seniors, senior relationships

Florida one of three states
in special consumer care project

Florida is one of three states demonstrating consumer directed care with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The Department of Elder Affairs is leading the inter-agency Florida Consumer Directed Care Research Project. Our project partners are:

Agency for Health Care Administration Department of Children and Families

Health Care Financing Administration Department of Health

Area Agencies on Aging Service Providers

Participating Medicaid Waiver clients Mathematica Policy Research

This is a research demonstration with Medicaid Waiver clients. Up to 6,000 elderly, spinal cord injury, developmentally disabled adults and children, and physically disabled adult Medicaid Waiver clients may voluntarily participate. Project participants will be randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The control group will receive Medicaid Waiver services as usual; their primary function is to provide survey and other data for the evaluation which will be conducted by Mathematica Policy Research.

The experimental group’s Medicaid Waiver services will be replaced with an equivalent cash budget. Participants will decide which supplies and services to purchase and choose workers who can best meet their needs. Consumers can hire non-Medicaid Waiver approved providers such as family members, friends, agencies, neighbors and other independent workers. The Consumer Directed Care Research Project budget will not affect programs such as SSI or food stamps, and consumers cannot use the budget for items that are available from programs or other sources at no cost.

Experimental group consumers will have help and support in managing their care from a project consultant and a bookkeeper. Project consultants are case managers and support coordinators who have been trained to provide consultant services. Consultants will provide training, oversight, and technical assistance to consumers. The contractual bookkeeping service will be available to participants for doing payroll, payments and related work.

The Health Care Financing Administration has approved the project and implementation is being phased in starting with Hillsborough, Manatee and Polk Counties in March, 2000. The implementation and enrollment is scheduled to be completed by July, 2001. All Medicaid Waiver Home and Community Based Services clients in 19 central and South Florida counties are eligible for the project; Children with Developmental Disabilities are eligible statewide. All experimental group participants will have an opportunity to manage their own care for at least two years.

The goal of this research project is to demonstrate the value of consumers being in charge of directing their own care. The premise is that consumers receiving care are in the best position to make decisions about their care. If the evaluation shows clear evidence of improved care and client satisfaction for equal or less cost, the state may make consumer directed care a future Home and Community Based Waiver option for capable clients statewide.