ARLINGTON, VA - ADvancing States and the ARPA HCBS TA Collective are pleased to announce the release of an issue brief examining states’ efforts to understand the impact of their home and community-based (HCBS) projects implemented with unprecedented new Federal investment under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).  “Efforts to Evaluate the Impact of ARPA HCBS Investments” was made possible by the generous support of The John A. Hartford Foundation, the Care for all with Respect and Equity (CARE) Fund, The SCAN Foundation, and the Milbank Memorial Fund.

With such a massive investment in our nation’s largest HCBS delivery systems, it is critically important to distill learnings about which types of the states’ investments resulted in desired outcomes and which did not.  Armed with such information, our state and national leaders will be better informed to establish policies when making future investments related to Medicaid HCBS.

Based on state surveys, focus groups, and ARPA HCBS spending plan analysis, this issue highlights the lessons learned from this research and provides practical information about how states can evaluate the impacts, successes, efficiencies, lessons learned, and best practices of their ARPA HCBS investments.  States that have started evaluation activities provided critical insights about why they found evaluation necessary, how evaluations are being conducted, and, most importantly, offer helpful recommendations for other states that have not yet begun evaluating the impact of this critical HCBS investment. These same states also offer ideas about how to maximize the impacts of future investments in our nation’s LTSS delivery system, as well as the ability to evaluate those impacts.

We are pleased that this issue brief will add to the national body of knowledge about ARPA HCBS investments.

About The ARPA HCBS TA Collective

The ARPA HCBS TA Collective brings together some of the nation’s leading experts in HCBS Policy - ADvancing States (advancingstates.org), the National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services (www.nasddds.org), Halperin Health Policy Solutions (www.halperinhealthpolicysolutions.com), Riverstone Health Advisors (riverstonehealthadvisors.com), and Brian Burwell - to support states as they strive to maximize the impact of the unprecedented HCBS funding available under the American Plan Rescue Act.  The TA Collective has been working with states on their ARPA HCBS initiatives since October 2021 and has included project management support, direct technical assistance, and in-person meetings.

About the John A. Hartford Foundation

The John A. Hartford Foundation, based in New York City, is a private, nonpartisan, national philanthropy dedicated to improving the care of older adults. The leader in the field of aging and health, the Foundation has three priority areas: creating age-friendly health systems, supporting family caregivers, and improving serious illness and end-of-life care. For more information, visit johnahartford.org and follow @johnahartford.

About the Care for All with Respect and Equity (CARE) Fund
The CARE Fund brings diverse funders together to invest in movement building for universal publicly supported care infrastructures that will fuel economies, improve the wellbeing of kids and families, create millions of good jobs, promote equity, and enable people with disabilities and older adults to live independently with safety and dignity. Learn more at https://www.carefund.org/ .  

About The SCAN Foundation

The SCAN Foundation is an independent public charity dedicated to creating a society where older adults can access health and supportive services of their choosing to meet their needs. Our mission is to advance a coordinated and easily navigated system of high-quality services for older adults that preserve dignity and independence. Learn more at https://www.thescanfoundation.org/ and @TheSCANFndtn.

About the Milbank Memorial Fund

The Milbank Memorial Fund is a nonpartisan foundation that aims to improve population health by connecting leaders with the best available evidence and experience. It does this work by:

• Identifying, informing, and inspiring current and future state health policy leaders to enhance their effectiveness
• Convening state health policy decision makers on issues they identify as important to population health, particularly in areas related to primary care, aging, and sustainable health care costs
• Publishing high-quality, evidence-based publications and The Milbank Quarterly, a peer-reviewed journal of population health and health policy