As the 15th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Olmstead decision approaches this month, a new brief from the Kaiser Family Foundation examines the legacy of the landmark civil rights ruling that the institutionalization of people with disabilities is illegal discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The brief, Olmstead’s Role In Community Integration for People with Disabilities Under Medicaid: 15 Years After the Supreme Court’s Olmstead Decision, revisits the historic case and examines legal developments and policy trends that have emerged in recent years. The paper focuses on the role of the Court and the legal system in ensuring community integration of long-term care services through the Olmstead decision. The brief highlights Medicaid’s role as a vehicle in financing long-term care and furthering the delivery of such services in community settings. It includes brief profiles of people who have benefited from long-term care services under Medicaid and identifies ongoing challenges to achieving full community integration for people with disabilities.
