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Managed Enrollment For Home- and Community-based Programs
The Ohio Department of Aging closely monitors enrollments and dis-enrollments from our home- and community-based services, such as PASSPORT, Assisted Living and PACE. Our recent calculations have determined that the department's budget can no longer support 680 enrollments per month, which has been the statewide maximum since the budget bill went into effect in July.
No one who is currently enrolled in PASSPORT, Assisted Living or PACE will lose their services, however, beginning Dec. 1, 2009, monthly statewide enrollment will be reduced to 500 consumers. This is primarily because fewer people are leaving our programs. While this means individuals are remaining in the community longer and out of nursing facilities, it also means that fewer new consumers will be able to access services. Many of these individuals will be unable to wait for care and will need to enter nursing facilities.
There are a few other reasons that explain the need for a reduction. In July, enrollment was higher than 680 because the budget bill was signed later in the month. Also, during the last few months of fiscal year 2009, Assisted Living enrollment was limited by law to 1,800 total participants. While this demand has leveled out, the initial enrollments exceeded the projected costs associated with the program, and therefore accelerated spending of the available funds.
Consumers still are encouraged to apply for PASSPORT, Assisted Living and PACE services, and get on the wait list. So far this fiscal year, almost 2,300 Ohioans have been on a wait list prior to enrollment. For most, the wait has been relatively brief - averaging about one week - although that period is expected to lengthen slightly with the reduced enrollment rate.
The department also has been reviewing differences in wait list activity among the area agencies on aging (AAAs). A few AAAs were experiencing wait lists beginning the first of each month - meaning that their wait list exceeded their monthly allotment of slots. In order to ensure fairness in distribution, we are adjusting the allocations among AAAs. This means that some AAAs will receive a greater percentage and some a lesser percentage of the total available number, but all will receive fewer slots than they had previously.
Consumers enrolled via the "Home First" provision in Ohio law which gives nursing facility residents the right to bypass the wait lists, will not be counted as part of an AAAs monthly allocation. ODA will continue to closely monitor enrollment activity to determine whether future adjustments will be necessary.
While meeting the needs of older Ohioans and adults with disabilities with fewer resources continues to be a challenge, the department remains committed to serving our consumers.