Community First

The Sacramento Business Journal reports:

California will be the first state in the nation to receive Medicaid dollars under the Affordable Care Act to provide home and community-based services for at-risk seniors and people with disabilities as an alternative to nursing home or other institutional settings. 

A new Community First Choice program established by federal health care reform provides a 6 percent increase in federal medical assistance for Medicaid enrollees who require an institutional level of care. 

California will get about $573 million in additional federal funds during the first two years of the program in an effort to encourage individuals to stay in their community rather than seek institutional care. A total of $258 million will be provided during the first year of the program, with $315 million to follow in the second year.