New HCBS Business Acumen Center Website Launches

In 2016, the Administration on Community Living (ACL) awarded the Business Acumen for Disability Organizations grant to the National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities (NASUAD), of which NASDDDS is a partner. The purpose of the grant is to build the capacity of community-based organizations (CBOs) serving people with physical and/or intellectual or developmental disabilities to contract with integrated care and other health sector entities. The HCBS Business Acumen Center equips disability community-based organizations (CBOs) with business resources, information, and training that promotes sustainability in a changing environment. Collectively, these tools support the development of business relationships between disability CBOs and health plans, integrated health care entities and other payers that result in positive outcomes for individuals with disabilities.

The HCBS Business Acumen Resource Center launched a new website that is a resource center for community-based organizations (CBOs) that serve individuals with disabilities. The resource center provides tools, resources and examples of promising practices that promote the sustainability of disability-focused CBOs. The HCBS Business Acumen Center is designed to help organizations expand their payer portfolio with managed care organizations (MCOs), accountable care organizations (ACOs), healthcare systems, cities, counties, private pay clients and others. Through the HCBS Business Acumen Center, CBOs can receive training, technical assistance, resources and examples of promising practices from CBOs across the country and from a learning collaborative comprised of state departments, disability-focused CBOs and MCOs currently working together to address state-specific opportunities in a changing long-term services and supports delivery system.