News Release
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, July 9, 2004 |
Contact: CMS Public Affairs
(202) 690-6145 |
HHS Approves Texas Plan To Help More Disabled Individuals At Home
HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson today approved an expansion of a
Texas program to help disabled individuals remain in their homes
and out of institutions.
Today’s announcement adds another 500 individuals to one of
the state’s Medicaid home and community-based services
waivers that provides services to persons who are developmentally
disabled or mentally retarded who otherwise would require care in a
specialized care facility. Those served under this waiver
will receive respite care, minor home modifications to improve
accessibility, skilled nursing, adaptive aids, specialized
therapies, dental treatment and other services. This waiver
program is currently serving 8,000 individuals.
“This Texas plan furthers the Bush Administration goals of
helping people live independently in their homes and communities,
rather than entering institutions,” Secretary Thompson
said. “This latest waiver renewal will give even more
Texans the kind of benefits that they need to stay out of
institutions and remain a part of their communities.”
In an effort to keep people in their communities, the Bush
Administration has launched several initiatives including the New
Freedom and Independence Plus initiatives that are aimed at helping
individuals with disabilities live with greater personal control
and freedom outside institutions.
“Through the home and community-based waiver program, Texans
with disabilities have helped lead the way in showing how more
people with disabilities can live full, productive lives in their
communities, and lowering Medicaid costs at the same time,”
said CMS Administrator Mark B. McClellan, M.D., Ph.D.
“I’m pleased that even more Texans will be able to take
advantage of this program. We’re ready to work with
other states to help them follow this example, to enable many of
their Medicaid beneficiaries with disabilities to improve the
quality of their lives.”
Medicaid is a state/federal matching program to provide health care
services to certain low-income populations, primarily children,
disabled adults and the elderly. States and the federal
government share the cost of the Medicaid program.
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Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at http://www.hhs.gov/news.
Last Revised: July 9, 2004
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