Money Follows the Person - Tribal Initiative Grant

The Money Follows the Person Rebalancing Demonstration Grant through CMS moves eligible people from nursing facilities back into the community, which helps states rebalance the long-term care systems of their Medicaid programs. The Money Follows the Person-Tribal Initiative (MFP-TI) is a special initiative under this program that is currently available in five states. It helps tribes in those states more easily provide home- and community-based services and move members from facilities back to their communities.

MFP-TI Program Goals

• Increase the use of home- and community-based services (HCBS) and reduce the use of institution-based services providing LTSS
• Eliminate barriers in state law, state Medicaid plans, and state budgets which previously made it difficult to use Medicaid funds to offer patients long-term care in the settings of their choice
• Strengthen the ability of Medicaid programs to provide HCBS to people who choose to transition out of institutions
• Provide quality assurance and improvement of HCBS

MFP-Tribal Initiative for HCBS

CMS has awarded funding for the MFP-TI to five state grantees:

• Minnesota
• Oklahoma
• North Dakota
• Washington
• Wisconsin

The MFP-TI offers state grantees and tribal partners the resources to build sustainable HCBS specifically for Indian Country.

Under the MFP-TI, tribal members with functional limitations or cognitive impairments who live in an institutional setting for over 90 days in a row can get assistance with daily living tasks such as bathing, dressing, or eating. These services are intended to help these individuals move back into the community.

The MFP-TI may also be used to develop HCBS infrastructure for AI/ANs using applicable Medicaid authorities. Funding is intended to support the planning and development of:

• An in-state HCBS Medicaid program tailored to AI/ANs presently in an institution
• A service delivery structure with administration delegated by the state Medicaid agency so tribes or tribal organizations can:
  • design an effective program or package of Medicaid community-based LTSS
  • operate day-to-day functions pertaining to LTSS program(s)

The MFP-TI may be used to cover costs for planning and implementing activities consistent with these funding objectives and within federal grant regulations. MFP-TI funds are subject to all the terms and conditions of the MFP program.

See an overview of the program (including MFP-TI) on Medicaid.gov. For states participating in MFP-TI, you can also find your state point of contact.