State programs
Money Follows the Person
Money Follows the Person is a federal Medicaid program that helps people move from a nursing facility or other institution back to a home or community setting. States can use grant funds for planning and one-time moving costs. Participants must be Medicaid members who lived in a qualifying facility.
Why it matters for your family
Congress created the program in 2005, and it later expanded. The goal is to reduce reliance on institutional care and increase home and community-based services. Participants must have lived in a qualifying facility for a set time, then move to a qualified community home. A common mistake is to think every state offers it under the same name. Programs vary. Ask the nursing facility social worker or the state Medicaid agency whether the state has an MFP program. Moving costs, home changes, and a service plan are planned before discharge.
Source: medicaid.gov
Related terms
- Home and community-based services (HCBS) waiverA home and community-based services (HCBS) waiver is a Medicaid program that pays for care at home or in the community instead of in a nursing home.
- Level of care assessmentA level of care assessment is an evaluation that decides whether a person needs the level of care that a nursing facility provides.
- Nursing homeA nursing home is a residential facility that provides round-the-clock supervision, nursing care, meals, help with daily activities, and often rehabilitation.
- Aging in placeAging in place means staying in your own home as you get older.
- Transitional careTransitional care is support that helps a person move safely from one care setting to another, such as from hospital to home.
- Care coordinatorA care coordinator is a person who organizes a person's care among doctors, agencies, and family.
