Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Margaret T. Donnelly, Director.

Missouri Department of

Health and Senior Services

Margaret T. Donnelly, Director

Changing Perceptions of Retirement

As the Baby Boomer generation reaches retirement age, society’s perceptions of aging and its expectations of what retirement means will change.

Health Care Reform

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will shape the future of health care with new funding and new responsibilities.

Health Care Reform

Elder Justice Act will expand adult protective services

New funding will pay for nationwide criminal background checks

Health Care ReformStates will be eligible for a larger federal match for Medicaid patients requiring long-term care and in-home services.

The Community First Choice Program could expand Medicaid eligibility up to 150 percent of the poverty level.

Health Care ReformThe Money Follows the Person program, which helps people move from a facility to the community, is extended until 2016.

Health Care Reform

Rules governing spousal impoverishment must be the same for HCBS as for institutional settings beginning in 2014

Aging and Disability Resource Centers have the opportunity to expand.

Health Care Reform Increased

coordination between Medicare and Medicaid

Expanded eligibility for Medicaid and a voluntary plan for long-term care insurance

Changes on the Horizon

A third-party contractor will be used to conduct assessments for Home and Community-Based Services.

This change will create more consistency and better service for clients.

Money Follows the PersonMore than 230 seniors and adults with physical disabilities have moved from residential facilities into community settings since October of 2007.

Health Information Technology

Improves treatment outcomes

Provides access to top-quality care in rural areas

Reduces medical errors and duplication of treatment

Health Information TechnologyGovernor Jay Nixon created the Office of Health Information Technology, known as MO-HITECH, to promote the use of standardized electronic health records.

Health Information TechnologyMore than 200 participants worked

more than a year to come up with the plan.

Those deliberations led to the recent creation of the Missouri Health Information Organization.  

Strategic and operational plans can be viewed on the MO-HITECH website at www.dss.mo.gov/hie

Statewide Health Information ExchangeMissouri awarded federal grant in

February 2010

Changes will be costly, but broad participation will lower the cost

The state will provide oversight and set standards to protect privacy of health records

What is in it for Long-Term Care?

There is little direct funding to help long-term care facilities adopt electronic health records. But there is widespread agreement that long-term care must be included in this movement.

What is in it for Long-Term Care?

Discussions are on-going concerning ways that both home-based and residential care can be included.

Benefits of Electronic Records in Long-Term CareBetter coordination of care;Better medication management and

reconciliation;Better transfer and discharge

information;A likely reduction in the number of

hospital stays;Overall higher quality of care.