Frequently Asked Questions

Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) are extra Medicaid benefits and services that help people with disabilities live in the community instead of in a facility. These benefits and services can include home modifications, personal assistance services, home health care services, non-medical transportation, supported employment, and more.

LTSS are provided by Medicaid waiver programs, which help people who need a level of care normally provided at an institution, like a nursing home or a hospital, but want to live at home or in the community.

If you are 60 or older, you may qualify for Home and Community Based Services through the Division of Aging Services, whether or not you qualify for a Medicaid waiver.

Learn more about Long-Term Services and Supports.

Money Follows the Person (MFP) is a program that can help you move out of an institution, such as a nursing home, and into the community. The MFP program is for people who have Medicaid coverage, have lived in a long-term care facility for at least 60 days, and will continue needing a high level of care when they move back into the community.

MFP can help you:

• Decide which community-based setting is possible and the right choice for you
• Find housing and move into your new home
• Plan your life in the community and set goals
• Sign up for a Medicaid waiver so you can get the services you need in the community
• Connect with community-based organizations

To be eligible for Money Follows the Person, you must:

• Have Medicaid coverage
• Have lived in a long-term care facility for at least 60 days, and
• Need Medicaid waiver services to live in the community instead of an institution.

To apply for Money Follows the Person services, contact your local Area Agency on Aging. An options counselor will help you figure out potential resources in your community and connect you with an MFP Transitions Coordinator.

Medicaid waiver programs give extra benefits and services to people with disabilities who need a level of care normally provided by an institution, like a nursing home or a hospital, but wish to live in the community.

These Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) go beyond the regular Medicaid benefits and can include things like assistive technology, mentoring, case management, non-medical transportation, mental health counseling, supported employment services, and personal assistance services, which can help you live safely in the community instead of an institution.

Learn more about waiver programs and how to apply for them in DB101’s Medicaid waivers article.

There are several organizations in Georgia that can help you move from a nursing home to your own place:

• The Money Follows the Person (MFP) program can help you sign up for a Medicaid waiver program. The MFP program may also help you find housing, pay for moving costs, and make home modifications.
• Centers for Independent Living (CILs) provide various services that help you find housing that works for you, move into that housing, and live on your own. Find a local Center for Independent Living.

The Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency (GVRA) helps people with disabilities find and keep work. They can help you with vocational counseling, your job search, job training, assistive technology, and more. Most of these services are free or the cost is based on how much you can afford. To get GVRA services, you must have a disability, want to work, and find it difficult to find or keep a job because of your disability. Find your local Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) office.

GVRA also offers specialized Sensory Services for people who are blind or have low vision, or who are deaf or hard of hearing.

WorkSource Georgia Centers offer a variety of free services that can help you with your job search and career planning. Center staff can help you with your job search and your resume, tell you about open positions in your area, give you advice, and more. To get services, find the WorkSource Georgia Center near you.

For adults (age 18-64) with disabilities who get Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), the Ticket to Work program can connect you to agencies that offer vocational rehabilitation training, job coaching and placement services.

While you are in the Ticket program, Social Security will not do medical Continuing Disability Reviews (CDRs), as long as you make timely progress in meeting your employment goals. That means you won’t lose eligibility for SSI or SSDI for medical reasons.

Learn more about getting help finding, getting, and keeping a job.

Some Medicaid waiver programs have supported employment services that can help you find and keep a job and build your career. Learn more about Medicaid waiver programs.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) offers additional benefits to U.S. military veterans. If you are a veteran in Georgia, you may qualify for long-term services and supports through the VA Atlanta Health Care System. These VA services may include things like medical services, housing services, employment services, and more. For more information, call 1-404-321-6111.