This report published by the Center for Health Care Strategies explores opportunities for reform in long-term care of Medicaid patients. It suggests that reform provides opportunities to improve quality, control costs and increase quality of life for patients.

From the report:

Medicaid currently covers more than 40 percent of the nation's long-term care needs. Yet close to 95 percent of beneficiaries needing long-term care are in fragmented fee-for-service programs. Overhauling the delivery of Medicaid long-term supports and services (LTSS) offers significant opportunities for states to improve health care quality, control costs, and enhance the quality of life for millions of Americans. 

This roadmap is part of a series developed to help Medicaid stakeholders design more effective models for long-term care delivery, particularly in light of new opportunities in the Affordable Care Act. Through support from The SCAN Foundation, CHCS conducted an environmental scan to identify state best practices for:

1. Rebalancing programs to provide more home- and community-based options instead of institutional care;

2. Designing managed LTSS programs; and 

3. Integrating care for adults who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid.

Full Report: Profiles of State Innovation: Roadmap for Managing Long-Term Supports and Services (PDF | 801K)

Center for Health Care Strategies. (2010). Profiles of state innovation: roadmap for managing long-term supports and services. Lind, A., Gore, S., Barnette, L., and Somers, S.