Enabling Personal Preference: The Implementation of the Cash and Counseling Demonstration in New Jersey

Describes the design and implementation of the Personal Preferences program in New Jersey, which provides consumer-directed supportive services for some Medicaid beneficiaries with disabilities. Provides lessons for other states seeking to develop a similar program on various aspects of implementation, including outreach and enrollment, the arrangements made to provide consulting services to participants, cash planning, consumers' use of representatives to help manage the allowance, setting the allowance, restrictions on use of the cash allowance, and ways to avoid abuse of the allowance and exploitation of consumers.