Jessica Ross
Home and Community-Based Services Practice Lead
View Bio PageFulfilling the Vision of Accessible Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS)
Delivering on the promise of greater choice and inclusion for people with disabilities and older adults is more important than ever. To achieve this vision, Mathematica collaborates with government agencies and community organizations to improve programs for older adults and those with behavioral health needs or intellectual, developmental, or physical disabilities. We work on some of the most pressing HCBS policy and delivery issues: service access and quality, direct care workforce shortages, housing capacity, and person-centered planning.
Our HCBS Solutions
We collaborate with our partners to create informed, open, and accountable solutions that help communities thrive. Our expertise spans long-term services and supports (LTSS) with a focus on HCBS at the state and federal levels. Our staff are also experts in HCBS-adjacent programs such as vocational rehabilitation, workforce development, and care integration for individuals who receive both Medicare and Medicaid benefits. Our offerings include:
States play a critical role in helping people with disabilities have a choice of where and how they live, work, and enjoy their lives, as required under the Olmstead vs. LC Supreme Court decision. We bring our deep expertise with HCBS policies, services, data, quality monitoring, and performance improvement to support development of responsive and actionable Olmstead Plans and compliance with Olmstead and other legal requirements.
Engaging people impacted by HCBS policies and programs is vital to inclusive, person-centered decision-making. We center input from people who use HCBS, their caregivers, guardians, and providers via town halls, workgroups, key informant interviews, and other forum to help states and federal policy makers co-create and implement transparent and lasting solutions.
People who use HCBS can have diverse and often complex needs, which can lead to duplication or gaps in care. We bring our knowledge of federal and state HCBS policies and programs to identify existing system strengths and gaps, and support design and implementation of programs, services, and trainings that comply with regulations and best practices.
Choosing the right mix of home and community-based services can be challenging. We aim to empower people who use HCBS, their caregivers, guardians, providers, and policymakers with data and tools that support data-driven decision making. We develop toolkits, dashboards, and infographics for HCBS users, state staff, and other audiences that support informed decision-making and highlight key milestones.
HCBS systems are complex, and effective monitoring requires bringing together information about Medicaid enrollment and services, state mental health, housing, employment, experience of care, and other sources. We offer an established approach for identifying, validating, and integrating diverse data sources and calculating the metrics needed to monitor HCBS quality, including CMS’ HCBS Quality Measure Set.
Understanding where HCBS policies and programs are or aren’t working, and why, is critical for achieving system goals and using resources wisely. We have almost two decades of experience using statistical modeling and mixed methods to evaluate and predict the impact of HCBS policies and programs. We work closely with our partners to help interpret these findings, and implement processes that drive continuous quality improvement.
Proven Impact
Explore how we're helping government agencies and communities meet their goals.
Featured Projects
Medicaid Access and Managed Care Final Rules
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) final rules for Ensuring Access to Medicaid Services (Access Rule) and the Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Managed Care Access, Finance, and Quality Rule (Managed Care Rule) reflect the biggest regulatory changes to Medicaid and CHIP in nearly a decade. Collectively, these rules create opportunities to move our HCBS systems forward. Explore our blog posts to the right to learn some strategies for implementing new rules and using data to advance community integration.
Guidance for Implementation
- How States Should Respond to the Final Medicaid Access and Managed Care Rules
- It's Spring-Cleaning Time for State Medicaid Data on Home and Community-Based Services
- Create Your Medicaid Access Rule Data Roadmap
- Time to Ramp Up Collection and Analysis of Medicare Data for Dually Eligible Individuals Using Home and Community-Based Services
Connect with Our Experts
Our HCBS experts engage in this work because we believe that everyone should have the choice and ability to participate in their communities. Collaborate with our team to make this goal a reality. Contact us at HCBSPractice@mathematica-mpr.com to get started.
