President Trump Signs Portman Priority to Help Elderly and Disabled Get Care They Need

WASHINGTON, April 19 -- The office of Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, issued the following news release:

U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) today applauded President Trump for signing into law a six-month extension of the Money Follows the Person Program, which helps transition Medicaid beneficiaries from nursing homes to long-term care in their homes while saving taxpayer money in the process.

Portman called for an extension of this program in his bipartisan Ensuring Medicaid Provides Opportunities for Widespread Equity, Resources, and Care Act - or EMPOWER Care Act.

"This measure will help the most vulnerable among us have better access to quality care, and I'm pleased that President Trump has signed it into law," Portman said. "While I will continue working for a longer extension, this means that the Money Follows the Person Program can build upon the more than 10,000 Ohioans that it has helped receive the care that they need in their homes and communities."

"The Money Follows the Person program has been an outstanding success in transitioning older adults and people with disabilities out of nursing homes and back into their homes and communities," said Larke Recchie, CEO Ohio Association of Area Agencies on Aging. "Through Money Follows the Person, Ohio has been able to further its commitment to rebalancing long term services and supports towards more home and community-based care. Providing the necessary supports upfront and during those critical first months not only saves money, but it also allows people to live where they prefer."