In light of the increasing demands confronting the State in meeting the needs of individuals utilizing long-term care services under the medical assistance program and any other long-term care related benefit program administered by the State, it is the intent of the General Assembly to address the needs of both the State and the individuals eligible for such services by cost effective and efficient means through the advancement of a long-term care rebalancing initiative. Notwithstanding any State law to the contrary, and subject to federal laws, regulations, and court decrees, the following shall apply to the long-term care rebalancing initiative:
(1)"Long-term care rebalancing", as used in this Section, means removing barriers to community living for people of all ages with disabilities
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In light of the increasing demands confronting the State in meeting the needs of individuals utilizing long-term care services under the medical assistance program and any other long-term care related benefit program administered by the State, it is the intent of the General Assembly to address the needs of both the State and the individuals eligible for such services by cost effective and efficient means through the advancement of a long-term care rebalancing initiative. Notwithstanding any State law to the contrary, and subject to federal laws, regulations, and court decrees, the following shall apply to the long-term care rebalancing initiative: (1) "Long-term care rebalancing", as used in this Section, means removing barriers to community living for people of all ages with disabilities and long-term illnesses by offering individuals utilizing long-term care services a reasonable array of options, in particular adequate choices of community and institutional options, to achieve a balance between the proportion of total Medicaid long-term support expenditures used for institutional services and those used for community-based supports, taking into account the relative costs associated with caring for medically compromised, frail older adults who need institutional care and the costs associated with providing support services to higher functioning, less medically compromised older adults who are able to live independently in the community. (2) Subject to the provisions of this Section, the Governor shall create a unified budget report identifying the budgets of all State agencies offering long-term care services to persons in either institutional or community settings, including the budgets of State-operated facilities for persons with developmental disabilities that shall include, but not be limited to, the following service and financial data: (A) A breakdown of long-term care services, defined as institutional or community care, by the State agency primarily responsible for administration of the program. (B) Actual and estimated enrollment, caseload, service hours, or service days provided for long-term care services described in a consistent format for those services, for each of the following age groups: older adults 65 years of age and older, younger adults 21 years of age through 64 years of age, and children under 21 years of age. (C) Funding sources for long-term care services. (D) Comparison of service and expenditure data, by services, both in aggregate and per person enrolled. (3) For each fiscal year, the unified budget report described in subdivision (2) shall be prepared with reference to the prioritized outcomes for that fiscal year contemplated by Sections 50-5 and 50-25 of this Code. (4) Each State agency responsible for the administration of long-term care services shall provide an analysis of the progress being made by the agency to transition persons from institutional to community settings, where appropriate, as part of the State's long-term care rebalancing initiative. (5) The Governor may designate amounts set aside for institutional services appropriated from the General Revenue Fund or any other State fund that receives monies for long-term care services to be transferred to all State agencies responsible for the administration of community-based long-term care programs, including, but not limited to, community-based long-term care programs administered by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, the Department of Human Services, and the Department on Aging, provided that the Director of Healthcare and Family Services first certifies that the amounts being transferred are necessary for the purpose of assisting persons in or at risk of being in institutional care to transition to community-based settings, including the financial data needed to prove the need for the transfer of funds. The total amounts transferred shall not exceed 4% in total of the amounts appropriated from the General Revenue Fund or any other State fund that receives monies for long-term care services for each fiscal year. A notice of the fund transfer must be made to the General Assembly and posted at a minimum on the Department of Healthcare and Family Services website, the Governor's Office of Management and Budget website, and any other website the Governor sees fit. These postings shall serve as notice to the General Assembly of the amounts to be transferred. Notice shall be given at least 30 days prior to transfer. (6) This Section shall be liberally construed and interpreted in a manner that allows the State to advance its long-term care rebalancing initiatives.