Purpose
Money Follows the Person (MFP) is a federal program designed to transition individuals with disabilities and long-term illnesses from the institution back into their homes in the community. The Living Choice Project is Oklahoma’s name for the MFP grant and is administered by the Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA). The program promotes community-based services instead of institutional services.
Contact
Essence McKnight
Money Follows the Person/
Living Choice Project Director
Oklahoma Health Care Authority
4345 N. Lincoln Blvd.
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
(405) 522-6628
(888) 287-2443 (toll free)
http://www.okhca.org/LTSS
Financial Criteria / Eligibility
- Be at least 19 years of age;
- Qualify for SoonerCare (Oklahoma’s Medicaid program) for at least one day prior to transition;
- Have lived in an institutional setting (nursing home, intermediate care facility) for at least 60 consecutive days prior to transition;
- Voluntarily want to transition back into the community; and
- be willing to play an active role in your plan of care.
AT Services Provided/Covered
- Assessment for the need of assistive technology/auxiliary aids
- Training the service recipient/provider in the use and maintenance of equipment/auxiliary aids
- Repair of adaptive devices
AT Devices Provided/ Covered
AT devices may be purchased by Money Follows the Person/Living Choice on a case-by-case basis as determined by the results of the member’s completed Uniform Comprehensive Assessment Tool (UCAT).
Application Process
- A referral is made to the Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA) Living Choice Project staff by visiting okhca.org/ltssreferral
- A nursing assessment will be conducted for a medical determination.
- Once eligibility and assessment indicate the individual qualifies for transition, A person-centered planning process will take place between the member and the provider agencies.
- The Individual Transition Plan will include the needed services, who will provide the services, and the goals to outline the expected duration of each service.
Pieces of the Puzzle
- Each participant will work with a transition coordinator and a transition planning team to complete a transition plan to meet the person’s needs.
- The individual selects from a list of available providers. Providers contract with SoonerCare as an agreement to provide services.
- The Living Choice Program is designed to assist with resources that would allow an eligible individual the ability to move out of the nursing home or a long-term care institution. A one-time allotment of up to $2,400 is available for participants to assist them with home establishment services such as housing deposits, furniture, and utility deposits.
- The Living Choice Program provides medical services along with Home and Community-Based Services to individuals during their first year of community living. The participant will receive services for 365 days. On day 366, the member will then move into the ADvantage Waiver for continuity of care.
- The annual cost of services cannot exceed the aggregate average cost of a nursing home. Services are approved and reimbursed by OHCA. There is no co-payment or deductible.
- The Living Choice Program offers self-directed services. Self-directed services will provide the individual the opportunity to direct decisions regarding personal care services. Self-directed services enable participants that have personal care assistance needs to recruit, hire, train, supervise, and when necessary, fire their personal care attendant. Participants are not required to utilize the self-directed Service option.