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Homes, not nursing homes
New Jersey is seeking federal approval for major changes to its $11 billion Medicaid program, hoping to rein in what state officials and some non-government stakeholders say is an unsustainable escalation of spending.
But saving money is only one of the goals of the 160-page Comprehensive Medicaid Waiver that New Jersey submitted to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in September. It also aims to keep the aged and people with disabilities out of nursing homes, which is what most patients would prefer and would be cheaper for taxpayers. But the waiver has major ramifications for how the system is managed, what services become available under Medicaid, and how healthcare is delivered. (Fitzgerald, NJ Spotlight)