Thousands of Tennesseans with disabilities will soon benefit from a historic investment in home- and community-based services (HCBS), which was announced in November by TennCare and the Tennessee Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (DIDD). The state has earmarked funds of up to $400 million to provide home- and community-based services for individuals with disabilities and older adults using federal money received through the American Rescue Plan (ARP). In this article, we highlight the plan’s priorities and objectives—and consider how this fits into federal efforts to expand HCBS.
Largest Investment In State’s History
According to TennCare Director, Stephen Smith, “This infusion of funding represents the single largest investment in HCBS services in the state’s history.” To ensure the state can continue to maintain this level of support after federal funding expires, Tennessee will use the “TennCare III demonstration,” approved in January 2021, which represents a combination of shared savings and existing federal funding from waivers.
TennCare and DIDD are committed to increasing service and access to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) throughout the state, with a focus on employment, engagement, and independence. “This is an investment that will change lives, provide relief to family caregivers and direct support staff, and further our vision of supporting people to live the lives they envision for themselves,” said Brad Turner, DIDD Commissioner.
Priorities and Objectives
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Governor and General Assembly established two priorities with regard to services for individuals with disabilities. These priorities were defined to ensure the state:
- “Provides services to 2,000 individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, reducing the TennCare Employment and Community First CHOICES program waiting list by more than half.
- Invests in recruitment, training and retention of frontline support staff to better serve Tennesseans with disabilities.”
TennCare’s federally-approved plan, developed using a wide range of stakeholder input, intentionally built upon those priorities. In partnership with DIDD, the plan is centered around two primary objectives:
- “Increasing access to home and community-based services for those in need; and
- Strengthening the frontline workforce that delivers services to those enrolled in HCBS programs.”
Progress At The Federal Level
At the federal level, the administration has put forth a reconciliation bill, which includes a $150 billion investment into HCBS to help reduce waiting lists and increase the direct service professional workforce.
Although this new figure is far lower than the originally proposed investment of $400 billion, advocates for and providers of HCBS say the amount still represents an historically significant commitment to HCBS services, which could transform millions of lives and benefit future generations.