On February 22nd HHS announced $45 million in grants as part of the Money Follows the Person (MFP) demonstration program to 13 states to establish and expand community-based alternatives to long-term care programs. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) extended the MFP program, originally set to expire in FY 2011, for five additional years with a total of $621 million to be committed over that time. HHS’ announcement can be found here.

Late on February 22nd D.C. District Court Judge Gladys Kessler ruled that the ACA was constitutional, bringing the total tally in the rulings on the constitutionality of the law to 3-2 in favor of the law being constitutional. Judge Kessler was appointed President Bill Clinton, upholding the partisan trend seen in recent rulings.

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