Webinar: Medicaid Administrative Claiming (MAC) 101: An Audit Ready Approach to Improving Program Operations and Establishing Sustainable Funding

Information and referral (I&R) providers, including 211s, AAAs/ADRCs, and specialized help lines, are often the first stop for people seeking long-term services and supports, yet their funding rarely reflects that role. This webinar introduces HCBS Strategies’ SPAN (Sustainable,
Performance, Aligned Networks) framework and shows how I&R organizations can use it to strengthen their place in their state’s No Wrong Door (NWD) Network. HCBS Strategies will explain how Medicaid Administrative Claiming (MAC) can bring in federal funding for eligible I&R and other claimable activities, using examples from Nebraska and Michigan that have included 211 and other front door agencies in their NWD networks. The session will also cover how random moment time study data can help understand how staff are spending their time and be utilized to improve an agency’s program operations. Participants will leave with an understanding of MAC’s components and benefits, with practical questions to bring to their state partners about implementation.

Webinar Objectives
1. Learn how Medicaid Administrative Claiming (MAC) can be utilized to provide a
sustainable funding source for I&R activities through federal reimbursement.

2. Explore how the three main domains of the SPAN framework (Sustainability,
Performance, and Aligned Networks) interact to provide a practical approach for
improving an agency’s program operations.

3. Discover the expansive list of MAC eligible activities an agency is already completing
every day that they can claim for.

Steven Lutzky, Ph.D.

Steven Lutzky is the President of HCBS Strategies and has extensive experience designing,
implementing and evaluating home and community-based systems for older adults,
individuals with disabilities and long-term illness for the federal government, states, and
private sector clients. He served as the Director of Division for Advocacy and Special Issues
(DASI), within the Disabled and Elderly Health Program Group, Center for Medicaid and State Operations (CMSO), Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Steve has also served as the Chief of the Office on Disabilities and Aging within the District of Columbia’s Medical Assistance Administration and was a Senior Manager with The Lewin Group. He received his doctorate in Gerontology and Public Policy from the University of Southern California, Davis School of Gerontology.

Andrew Cieslinski, MPH.

Andrew Cieslinksi is a Senior Principal at HCBS Strategies. With expertise in a wide range of
LTSS areas, Andrew has over 13 years of experience working with federal, state, and local
agencies around the country and has led or supported over a dozen complex, large scale
systems change efforts. Specific experience includes strategic planning and operational
reviews; developing standardized tools for intake, screening, assessment and support
planning; development and redesign of 1915(b),(c),(i),(k) and 1115 waivers; creating,
piloting, and operating Medicaid Administrative Claiming (MAC) infrastructure to gain
Federal Financial Participation (FFP) funding; successfully working with states to procure a
variety of competitive grants and other funding opportunities; planning and implementing
major projects with States to meet the requirements for federally-funded programs
including No Wrong Door (NWD) and Balancing Incentives Program (BIP); and implementing and enhancing Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs)