With additional Medicaid dollars flowing to the states as a result of the federal stimulus package, the race is on to figure out how this money will be spent. Here is a quick look at activities in several states:

Massachusetts

Home care advocates held a state house rally on Feb. 26 to demand clarity on how stimulus funds would be used (PHI, March 12).

Texas

In mid-March, the Texas grassroots organization American Disabled for Attendant Programs Today (ADAPT) lobbied in the state capitol for increased pay for home healthcare workers in order to bring them to a level more competitive with institutional care workers and help reduce high turnover rates (Beaumont Enterprise, March 12).

Ohio

Gov. Ted Strickland and Department of Aging Director Barbara E. Riley are pushing the legislature to speed up rebalancing efforts to counter the increasing Medicaid costs associated with nursing home care (Dayton Daily News, March 8).

Kansas

Nearly 4,000 Kansas residents with developmental disabilities have dubbed themselves “Invisible Kansans” and are mounting a campaign to reduce waiting lists for services and increase pay for direct-care workers (PHI, Feb. 26).

According to PHI National Policy Director Steve Edelstein, “States looking to stimulate local economies, stem job loss, and stabilize low-income families will be well-served by directing additional Medicaid funds into long-term care services, especially direct-care jobs.”