Healthcare / HHS / CMS
Money Follows the Person
CMS awards competitive cooperative agreements directly to state Medicaid agencies (and, since 2022, U.S. territories). Each grant funds a five-year MFP demonstration project. Once a state operates an approved project, the federal government reimburses the state's qualified HCBS expenditures for transitioned individuals at an MFP-enhanced FMAP (the state's regular FMAP plus half the difference between it and 100 percent, capped at 90 percent) during each participant's first 12 months in the community. Money does not pass through a separate intermediary: it reaches recipients as enhanced federal match on state Medicaid HCBS spending plus direct planning/implementation grant dollars to the state agency.
- $5.3Bobligated
- $1.8Breceived
- 41active awards
- 41recipients
- 41states
- 0counties
Every figure sealed to source A synthesis across primary sources, each figure traceable to its origin.
Sources behind this dossier
- Federal award record (USAspending)
- Authorizing statute
- Agency allocation table
- 9 primary documents, sealed
Authority
Money Follows the Person is authorized by Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (DRA), Section 6071, administered by HHS / CMS, as a demonstration program. Statute.
Competitive grant (discretionary). Not a population formula. CMS issues a Notice of Funding Opportunity; states/territories apply and CMS awards cooperative agreements. Operating grantees draw federal funds via the MFP-enhanced FMAP on qualified HCBS expenditures for transitioned participants for 12 months post-transition. Planning/expansion NOFOs have used a fixed per-applicant award ceiling (up to 5000000 each) rather than a distribution formula. State grant awards run a five-year project period; unused award amounts carry over for up to four additional fiscal years.
Allocations by jurisdiction
38 jurisdictions, from the published allocation table.
| Jurisdiction | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $5.0M | Award ceiling 'up to $5,000,000' per CMS 2020 supplemental NOFO; eligible operating MFP state. Exact disbursed amount not published in this source. |
| Arkansas | $5.0M | Up to $5,000,000 ceiling; eligible operating MFP state. |
| California | $5.0M | Up to $5,000,000 ceiling; eligible operating MFP state. |
| Colorado | $5.0M | Up to $5,000,000 ceiling; eligible operating MFP state. |
| Connecticut | $5.0M | Up to $5,000,000 ceiling; eligible operating MFP state. |
| District of Columbia | $5.0M | Up to $5,000,000 ceiling; eligible operating MFP grantee. |
| Georgia | $5.0M | Up to $5,000,000 ceiling; eligible operating MFP state. |
| Iowa | $5.0M | Up to $5,000,000 ceiling; eligible operating MFP state. |
| Idaho | $5.0M | Up to $5,000,000 ceiling; eligible operating MFP state. |
| Indiana | $5.0M | Up to $5,000,000 ceiling; eligible operating MFP state. |
| Kentucky | $5.0M | Up to $5,000,000 ceiling; eligible operating MFP state. |
| Louisiana | $5.0M | Up to $5,000,000 ceiling; eligible operating MFP state. |
| Maryland | $5.0M | Up to $5,000,000 ceiling; eligible operating MFP state. |
| Maine | $5.0M | Up to $5,000,000 ceiling; eligible operating MFP state. |
| Minnesota | $5.0M | Up to $5,000,000 ceiling; eligible operating MFP state (also an MFP Tribal Initiative grantee). |
| Missouri | $5.0M | Up to $5,000,000 ceiling; eligible operating MFP state. |
| Montana | $5.0M | Up to $5,000,000 ceiling; eligible operating MFP state. |
| North Carolina | $5.0M | Up to $5,000,000 ceiling; eligible operating MFP state. |
| North Dakota | $5.0M | Up to $5,000,000 ceiling; eligible operating MFP state (also an MFP Tribal Initiative grantee). |
| New Jersey | $5.0M | Up to $5,000,000 ceiling; eligible operating MFP state. |
| Nevada | $5.0M | Up to $5,000,000 ceiling; eligible operating MFP state. |
| New York | $5.0M | Up to $5,000,000 ceiling; eligible operating MFP state. |
| Ohio | $5.0M | Up to $5,000,000 ceiling; eligible operating MFP state. |
| Oklahoma | $5.0M | Up to $5,000,000 ceiling; eligible operating MFP state (also an MFP Tribal Initiative grantee). |
| Pennsylvania | $5.0M | Up to $5,000,000 ceiling; eligible operating MFP state. |
| Rhode Island | $5.0M | Up to $5,000,000 ceiling; eligible operating MFP state. |
| South Carolina | $5.0M | Up to $5,000,000 ceiling; eligible operating MFP state. |
| South Dakota | $5.0M | Up to $5,000,000 ceiling; eligible operating MFP state. |
| Texas | $5.0M | Up to $5,000,000 ceiling; eligible operating MFP state. |
| Vermont | $5.0M | Up to $5,000,000 ceiling; eligible operating MFP state. |
| Washington | $5.0M | Up to $5,000,000 ceiling; eligible operating MFP state (also an MFP Tribal Initiative grantee). |
| Wisconsin | $5.0M | Up to $5,000,000 ceiling; eligible operating MFP state (also an MFP Tribal Initiative grantee). |
| West Virginia | $5.0M | Up to $5,000,000 ceiling; eligible operating MFP state. |
| Illinois | $5.0M | New MFP expansion grantee under the 2022 NOFO; award 'up to $5,000,000'. |
| Kansas | $5.0M | New MFP expansion grantee under the 2022 NOFO; award 'up to $5,000,000'. |
| New Hampshire | $5.0M | New MFP expansion grantee under the 2022 NOFO; award 'up to $5,000,000'. |
| American Samoa | $5.0M | First-ever MFP territory grantee under the 2022 NOFO; award 'up to $5,000,000'. |
| Puerto Rico | $5.0M | First-ever MFP territory grantee under the 2022 NOFO; award 'up to $5,000,000'. |
Where the money lands
Place-of-performance obligations by state, with per-capita, sealed in the location chain.
| State | Obligated | Per capita |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | $255.6M | $33.18 |
| Massachusetts | $175.8M | $25.01 |
| Minnesota | $145.4M | $25.48 |
| New York | $131.3M | $6.50 |
| Pennsylvania | $126.7M | $9.74 |
| California | $112.9M | $2.85 |
| Connecticut | $108.3M | $30.04 |
| Texas | $83.4M | $2.86 |
| Indiana | $77.0M | $11.35 |
| Ohio | $67.7M | $5.73 |
| Iowa | $65.3M | $20.48 |
| New Jersey | $57.9M | $6.23 |
| North Carolina | $48.5M | $4.64 |
| North Dakota | $43.8M | $56.18 |
| Oklahoma | $39.2M | $9.89 |
| Georgia | $38.3M | $3.57 |
| Louisiana | $32.9M | $7.05 |
| Tennessee | $27.3M | $3.95 |
| Colorado | $21.5M | $3.72 |
| Maryland | $17.2M | $2.79 |
| South Dakota | $16.2M | $18.22 |
| District Of Columbia | $15.1M | $21.96 |
| West Virginia | $14.8M | $8.28 |
| Wisconsin | $14.1M | $2.39 |
| Missouri | $14.0M | $2.27 |
| Alabama | $12.2M | $2.42 |
| Vermont | $11.1M | $17.20 |
| Rhode Island | $10.3M | $9.39 |
| New Hampshire | $8.6M | $6.22 |
| Idaho | $8.5M | $4.65 |
| Hawaii | $8.1M | $5.55 |
| Arkansas | $7.1M | $2.37 |
| South Carolina | $7.0M | $1.38 |
| Montana | $6.7M | $6.16 |
| Kentucky | $6.4M | $1.42 |
| Puerto Rico | $5.0M | $1.52 |
| Kansas | $5.0M | $1.69 |
| Illinois | $5.0M | $0.39 |
| American Samoa | $4.8M | $95.63 |
| Maine | $4.6M | $3.34 |
| Nevada | $788K | $0.25 |
Top recipients
| Recipient | Awards | Obligated | Received |
|---|---|---|---|
| DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL & HEALTH SERVICES | 1 | $513.3M | $268.6M |
| HEALTH & HUMAN SVC COMMN TX | 1 | $477.8M | $103.0M |
| DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES CONNECTICUT | 1 | $388.8M | $137.1M |
| OHIO DEPARTMENT OF MEDICAID | 1 | $378.2M | $76.9M |
| NYS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH | 1 | $372.9M | $143.8M |
| HEALTH CARE SERVICES, CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF | 1 | $326.0M | $136.2M |
| PA DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES | 1 | $295.5M | $139.0M |
| THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS | 1 | $270.9M | $58.5M |
| MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES | 1 | $223.6M | $120.2M |
| HUMAN SERVICES, NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF | 1 | $210.7M | $68.8M |
Source documents
9 primary documents, parsed and sealed by content hash.
- Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-171), Section 6071 - Money Follows the Person Rebalancing Demonstration (enrolled text) statute
- Money Follows the Person (program page) guidance
- HHS to Provide $110 Million to Strengthen Safety Net for Seniors and People with Disabilities (2022 MFP expansion NOFO announcement) fact-sheet
- HHS Expands Home and Community-Based Services in Five New States and Territories (2022 MFP awards) fact-sheet
- CMS Announces New Federal Funding for 33 States to Support Transitioning Individuals from Nursing Homes to the Community (2020 supplemental NOFO) fact-sheet
- Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (P.L. 117-328): Medicaid and CHIP Provisions (CRS R47821) - Section 5114 MFP extension guidance, 37 pages, 6 tables
- Assistance Listing 93.791 - Money Follows the Person Rebalancing Demonstration (HHS TAGGS detail) allocation-table, 4 tables
- Congressionally Mandated Study on Money Follows the Person Demonstration Program (MACPAC, 2024) annual-report
- Grants.gov opportunity record for MFP Demonstration Program (oppId 334196 / CMS-1LI-22-001) and assistance listing 93.791 search grants-gov
Questions
- How does Money Follows the Person money reach recipients?
- CMS awards competitive cooperative agreements directly to state Medicaid agencies (and, since 2022, U.S. territories). Each grant funds a five-year MFP demonstration project. Once a state operates an approved project, the federal government reimburses the state's qualified HCBS expenditures for transitioned individuals at an MFP-enhanced FMAP (the state's regular FMAP plus half the difference between it and 100 percent, capped at 90 percent) during each participant's first 12 months in the community. Money does not pass through a separate intermediary: it reaches recipients as enhanced federal match on state Medicaid HCBS spending plus direct planning/implementation grant dollars to the state agency.
- How much federal funding does Money Follows the Person represent?
- As of 2026-06-05, $5.3B was obligated across 41 active awards to 41 recipients in 41 states and 0 counties. This is a sealed point-in-time figure from USAspending, the federal system of record.
- What law authorizes Money Follows the Person?
- Money Follows the Person is authorized by Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (DRA), Section 6071, administered by HHS / CMS.