New Report Examines States’ Discretion in Medicaid’s Coverage for Home Health Services

The National Senior Citizens Law Center published a report in December entitled, “To be or not to be Homebound: The Limits of States’ Discretion in Medicaid’s Coverage for Home Health Services” that examines Medicaid’s coverage for home health services.  The report looks at the home health benefit which has the unique status in the Medicaid program of being a mandatory community-based service that is long-term in nature. The report provides an overview of the boundaries of a state’s Medicaid home health service standard, including a discussion of the controversy in Missouri, in order to provide useful background for advocates trying to maximize the community-based options of persons with chronic needs.  It’s worth a read looking at current issues surrounding Medicaid and in-home health care.