From staff reports

WASHINGTON – Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02) and Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (D-MI) this week reintroduced the bipartisan Ensuring Medicaid Provides Opportunities for Widespread Equity, Resources (EMPOWER) and Care Act (H.R. 1342).
The EMPOWER Care Act will help certain Medicaid beneficiaries receive long-term care in their homes or communities by reauthorizing the federal Money Follows the Person (MFP) demonstration program for five years. This program allows certain Medicaid users, such as seniors and individuals with disabilities, to transition from a nursing home or institutional care back to their home. Since the MFP program was created over a decade ago, it has successfully helped over 88,000 individuals receive care in their own homes.
Guthrie and Dingell first introduced the EMPOWER Care Act last Congress, and a short-term version of this bill was signed into law in the Medicaid Extenders Act earlier this year.
“The EMPOWER Care Act will do just that: Empower people with disabilities to decide where to receive care,” said Guthrie “I was proud to join Rep. Dingell to introduce this bipartisan bill to extend the Money Follows the Person program, which has already helped hundreds of Kentuckians make the transition from a nursing home or facility to receiving care in their own home and communities. This program does not force patients to leave a facility if they don’t want to; rather, it allows individuals to decide what is best for them. I look forward to seeing this bill pass in the House.”