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CMS Launches Webpage to Share State Plans to Expand Medicaid HCBS Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) launched a new "one-stop shop" on Medicaid.gov to make it easy to access information about states' plans to enhance, expand, and strengthen home and community-based services using new Medicaid funding made available by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP).  Section 9817 of the ARP provided states with a temporary 10 percentage point increase in federal funding for Medicaid home and community-based services. This “FMAP bump,” an estimated $12.7 billion, offers states a rare opportunity to identify and implement changes aimed at addressing existing HCBS workforce and structural issues, expand the capacity of critical services, and begin to meet the needs of people on HCBS waitlists and family caregivers. This funding also provides states an important opportunity to enhance individual autonomy and community integration in accordance with the home and community-based settings regulations, Olmstead implementation, and other rebalancing efforts. (This May 13 post on ACL’s blog has more on the funding and how it can be used.)  The webpage launched today includes states' plans for using this funding, letters issued to states on their spending plans and narratives, and other information that can help inform the advocacy work of the aging and disability networks. In addition, ACL and CMS are collaborating to share information about the innovative ways states are using the funding.  On September 30, we partnered to host a webinar, Expanding, Enhancing and Strengthening Home and Community Based Services under Section 9817 of the American Rescue Plan Act, which includes an overview of Section 9817 of the American Rescue Plan, as well as presentations from Colorado and Massachusetts on innovative initiatives included in their initial state spending plans. The webinar was recorded, and a closed-captioned video is available to watch online. (The webinar slides also are available for download – look for “presentation files” on the right of your screen.)  Read more in the HHS press release issued this afternoon.  ACL.gov   Advancing independence, integration, and inclusion throughout life

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