(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Congressman Jamie Raskin (MD-08) and the Maryland congressional delegation, including U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John P. Sarbanes, Kweisi Mfume, Andy Harris, M.D., Anthony G. Brown, and David Trone today announced the award of $25,212,690 through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for the Maryland Department of Health (MDH) for the continuation of the Money Follows the Person (RCMFTP) demonstration program. By making home and community-based services (HCBS) more accessible, this program empowers older adults and people with disabilities and chronic illnesses to live independently and receive care in the home rather than relying on institutional-based services. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act authorized level funding for this vital program through November.

“The risks posed by COVID-19 make it all the more critical for seniors and individuals with disabilities or underlying health conditions to be able to access home and community-based care,” said the lawmakers. “These types of investments help individuals lead more independent lives, prevent further spread of the disease and protect vulnerable Marylanders.”

The Money Follows the Person state-based demonstration projects are designed to increase the use of home and community-based services (HCBS), rather than institutional, long-term care services. The demonstration projects seek to eliminate barriers or mechanisms that prevent or restrict the flexible use of Medicaid funds to enable Medicaid-eligible individuals to receive support for appropriate and necessary long-term services in the settings of their choice, whether that is an institutional setting or their home.

###