California will be the first state in the country to receive new Medicaid dollars under the Affordable Care Act to provide community-based personal attendant services and supports to beneficiaries as an alternative to nursing facility and other institutional services, according to an announcement made Tuesday by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Acting Administrator Marilyn Tavenner.  

“Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, seniors and persons with disabilities in California will have better options that will help them get the care they need in their own homes and communities, rather than institutions like a nursing home,” said Acting Administrator Tavenner.

The “Community First Choice Option” was established under the Affordable Care Act and is a new State plan option under Medicaid.

It allows states to provide home and community-based attendant services to certain Medicaid enrollees who require an institutional level of care.  

States choosing to participate in this option receive a 6 percentage point increase in their federal medical assistance percentage for expenditures related to this option.  

California will receive an estimated $258 million for the first year of implementation, and $315 million for the second year.  

The increased funding is available as long as the option is included as a benefit in the State’s Medicaid program, known as Medi-Cal.

Community First Choice ensures that each beneficiary has a person-centered plan that reflects the individual’s choices and preferences about how services and supports are provided to achieve or maintain independence.

For more information on this Community First Choice option, visit www.hhs.gov/news/press/2012pres/04/20120426a.html .