Senior Advocacy in Action Alert

5/10/2012 4:45pm

The Nursing Facility Transition (NFT) program is in jeopardy. The Governor’s budget allocates $11 million to serve people on the MI Choice waiting list, but only $3.1 million for NFT, enough to continue the program for only two months.  This would mean over 1,000 people would be forced to remain in nursing homes when they could live in the community at a much lower cost to the state.  An additional $22 million is needed for NFT in fiscal year 2013.    

What You Can Do:

Contact these members of the Conference Committees, thank them for their past support of MI Choice and nursing facility transitions, and ask them to approve $11 million for the MI Choice waiting list and $25 million for nursing facility transitions in the MI Choice budget for FY 2013. 

• Senator Roger Kahn, M.D.   (866) 305-2132    senrkahn@senate.michigan.gov       
• Senator John Moolenaar  (517) 373-7946     senjmoolenaar@senate.michigan.gov
• Senator Vince Gregory         (517) 373-7888     senvgregory@senate.michigan.gov
• Senator Glenn Anderson      (866) 262-7306      senganderson@senate.michigan.gov
• Rep. Chuck Moss                 (877) 707-6677     chuckmoss@house.mi.gov
• Rep. Matt Lori                      (877) 262-5959    mattlori@house.mi.gov
• Rep. Pete MacGregor         (855) 347-8073     petermacgregor@house.mi.gov
• Rep. Joe Haveman  (866) 908-4347     josephhaveman@house.mi.gov
• Rep. Richard LeBlanc          (888) 737-5325    richardleblanc@house.mi.gov
• Rep. Rashida Tlaib  (877) 852-4212      rashidatlaib@house.mi.gov

Here are some talking points:

• The Nursing Facility Transition allows people to live where they choose and is cost effective, costing an average of $60/day compared with a nursing home cost of $172/day.  NFT is part of the MI Choice Medicaid home and community-based waiver.
• Last year, the transition program helped more than 1,600 people move from a nursing home back to the community with an immediate cost savings to the state.  Each person faced barriers that prevented them from returning home on their own.
• According to Governor Snyder’s 2012 Executive Budget, NFT has saved the state $65 million since 2008.
• There are 8,000 people on the MI Choice waiting list.  Individuals are forced to wait many months, even years to enter the program.

Background:

The Nursing Home Transition (NFT) is part of the MI Choice Medicaid Waiver program.  NFT is a cutting edge program that has gained national attention for successfully transitioning people in nursing homes who want to leave but face barriers.  Barriers can include losing their home, not having an accessible home, and needing services and supports to stay at home.  Last year, over 1,600 people were transitioned; data suggest that every year about 3,000 people in nursing homes are candidates for NFT.    

NFT saves the state money because it targets people on Medicaid who cost an average of $172/day in a nursing home, compared with an average of $60/day in their own home.  It is estimated that $25 million will be needed next year to transition another 1,600 people. 

Legislators are now crafting the state’s FY 2013 budget, and the final decisions will be made by joint House-Senate Conference Committees.  We need to convince committee members to approve the Governor’s request for $11 million to serve the MI Choice waiting list, and also provide the $25 million in funding necessary to transition 1,600 people from nursing homes next year.

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