Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) Policy Lab: Using Data to Drive Public Policy and Funding Decisions

Abstract

The unprecedented growth in the elder population will create a marked increase in the demand for quality long-term services and supports (LTSS) in the Commonwealth. For low-income elders who have limited assets, the cost of these services – including home- and community-based services (HCBS) and nursing home stays – will be borne primarily by MassHealth, the state’s Medicaid program. Policy makers, executive-level leaders, and program managers need to plan for the expanded service needs of this population while also addressing the cost of services that threatens to be unsustainable. The LTSS Policy Lab, a collaboration among the University of Massachusetts Medical School, the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, the Executive Office of Elder Affairs, and the Office of Medicaid, is a resource to aid in program planning and fiscal forecasting, not just for the immediate budget cycle but also for the next five to 10 years and beyond.