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News Release
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, March 11, 2003
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Contact: CMS Public Affairs
(202) 690-6145
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HHS APPROVES SOUTH CAROLINA MEDICAID PLAN TO ENABLE
PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES TO CONTROL THEIR CARE AT HOME
HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson today approved a South Carolina plan to give people with disabilities greater control over their Medicaid services to make it easier for them to continue living in their homes.
"This approval will allow hundreds of South Carolina residents to play an active role in choosing community-based services to meet their needs," Secretary Thompson said. "We are committed to giving states greater flexibility in designing programs like South Carolina's to give people with disabilities more choice so they can live fuller, more independent lives."
Under the waiver, eligible Medicaid beneficiaries will receive personal care services, adult day services, respite services and other services needed to help them maintain independent lives. Those participating in the waiver will not only plan the services they need, but will hire service providers themselves. South Carolina will offer waiver services to individuals in Spartanburg, Cherokee and Union counties. A "care advisor" and a financial management service will assist families and handle payroll tasks.
South Carolina is the one of the first states to receive approval of a self-directed home and community-based services program under HHS' Independence Plus initiative, which helps states develop programs for consumer-directed community services using either a demonstration waiver or a home and community-based services waiver.
The initiative is designed to help states fulfill the goals of President Bush's New Freedom Initiative -- a broad government-wide effort to ensure that Americans with disabilities have the opportunity to live close to their families and friends, to live more independently, to engage in productive employment and to promote community life.
"Allowing persons with disabilities and their families to direct their care is a high priority for the Bush Administration," said Tom Scully, administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the agency that oversees federal health insurance programs.
To further promote the goals of the New Freedom Initiative, President Bush's fiscal year 2004 budget proposes dramatic new programs to support this effort, totaling $2.1 billion over five years. In addition, the President has proposed a Medicaid modernization plan that would give states greater flexibility to provide home and community-based care for those with disabilities.
As former governors, President Bush and Secretary Thompson have made it a priority to make it simpler for states to submit Medicaid and State Children's Health Insurance Program waiver requests and to initiate new programs such as Independence Plus. Since January 2001, HHS has approved waivers and plan amendments that have expanded eligibility to more than 2.2 million people and enhanced benefits for more than 6 million people.
Additional information regarding federal support of self-direction options can be obtained at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/independenceplus.
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Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at
http://www.hhs.gov/news.
Last Revised: March 11, 2003
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