June 5, 2006

LANSING – Keeping true to her promise of improving the state’s long term care system, Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today announced four groundbreaking awards worth $34.83 million for Long Term Care Single Point of Entry (SPE) demonstration sites in Michigan.

The establishment of long term care SPEs was a key recommendation presented to the Governor and the Legislature in the final report of the Medicaid Long Term Care Task Force, issued in June 2005.

“I am thrilled that numerous groups, individuals, and agencies have worked tirelessly to put forward strong proposals for establishing these demonstration projects for Single Points of Entry around the state,” Granholm said. “It is only through their broad, collaborative efforts that Michigan residents can have a single entry point for information that permits individual consumer choices. These awards help move Michigan toward offering an improved system that supports dignified, person centered, and quality lifestyles when there is a need for long term care.”

The four demonstration sites were selected after undergoing a three part broad-based review process that included representatives from community groups and agencies, health facilities, advocacy groups, and state agencies. The selected demonstration awards were made to the independently governed bodies as follows:

· Detroit – Submitted by Detroit Area Agency on the Aging (AAA) $13.1 million

· Southwest Michigan – Submitted by Region IV AAA $7.18 million

· Upper Peninsula – Submitted by U.P. Commission for Area Progress $5.4 million

· Western Michigan – Submitted by HHS Health Options and AAA of Western Michigan $9.15 million

In addition to these initial SPE awards, regional areas that could not be funded at this time will be provided SPE planning grants for independent collaborative efforts that bring all stakeholders in the region together for the purpose of submitting a proposal for a subsequent SPE request for proposals. 

The twenty-seven month demonstration projects will be administered by the Department of Community Health (MDCH), said MDCH Director Janet Olszewski.

“Single Points of Entry will help ensure that families are not forced to navigate a complex maze of agencies or services when they may be in crisis, or at their most vulnerable, and in need of long term care supports,” she said.

Currently, Michigan expenditures exceed $2 billion in public and private funds for the state’s 1.2 million of the state’s aging population, and an additional number of people with disabilities who need long term supports and services.

Michigan’s initial investment in single points of entry will help ensure cost effectiveness by controlling the growth of high cost services, and by coordinating the delivery of high quality services that people want to use, Olszewski said.

Single Points of Entry address a lack of consolidated and independent sources of information, supports, and assistance for long term care needs for Michigan residents.

The demonstration projects will provide the opportunity to carefully evaluate SPE models, and to identify solid performance measures, as Michigan moves forward in implementing SPEs on a statewide basis. SPEs will operate based upon a basic principle of ensuring that individuals are provided with timely, unbiased and appropriate information to enable informed consumer choice in planning for, and utilizing, long term care services.

The selected sites for the demonstration projects encompass an estimated 47.5 percent of the state’s current Long Term Care Medicaid population and incorporate 36 of the state’s 83 counties.

The demonstration projects, which are subject to approval by the State Administrative Board, are designed to implement proposed models for a locally/regionally based statewide system of Single Points of Entry. The SPE demonstration sites are expected to begin implementing their work plan in July 2006. MDCH will immediately begin working with the four grantees to develop state contracts authorizing the start of the demonstration projects. Projects are expected to continue for period of 27 months, and will be monitored for progress on an ongoing basis.

Single Points of Entry will ensure that people seeking long term care information, services or supports have access to one primary contact point that provides assistance to individuals in planning for their long term care needs. The designated agency will function as an independent entity, and cannot be a provider of direct services to assure that there is no real, or perceived, conflict of interest in serving the needs of the consumer.

For more information about Michigan’s continued long term care improvement efforts, please visit www.michigan.gov/ltc. The site also includes information regarding the state’s Office of Long Term Care Support and Services, the LTC Supports and Services Advisory Commission, and the Michigan Medicaid Long Term Care Task Force.