FY 2009 Own Your Future Long-Term Care Awareness Campaign Cooperative Agreements

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The “Own Your Future” Long-Term Care Awareness Campaign is a joint Federal-State initiative to increase awareness among the American public about long-term care risks, costs and payment options, and the importance of planning for future long-term care needs. Many people are unaware that Medicare does not cover most long-term care services. Planning ahead allows greater dignity, control, and independence over how future needs are met. Congress, through Section 6021(d) of the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) of 2005, appropriated $3 million a year for five years to HHS to launch long-term care awareness campaigns across the country. The specific objectives for the Campaign are to: • inform Americans in the baby boomer generation (currently aged 45 to 65) of the services and benefits that Medicare does and does not provide in regard to long-term care; • describe a variety of ways for baby boomers to plan ahead for long-term care without endorsing any one specific planning activity; • expand the available information about a wide range of long-term care planning activities, including State-specific information and planning resources; and, • engage States in a joint Federal/State effort to present consistent messages to consumers about the importance of planning ahead for long-term care. HHS will use a negotiated agreement approach to approving the specific activities to be included in a selected state’s final Campaign plan. HHS will work with each selected State at a Readiness Review to come to mutual agreement on the elements in the final Campaign plan for that State. HHS and the State may ultimately agree on elements that differ from what was in the original application, which may result in HHS providing States with different levels of technical support. Please note this Campaign is designed to help people begin the process of planning, not locate specific services or promote any selected product. This will be a cooperative agreement between a State and HHS. No funds will be awarded to States. At a minimum, core campaign activities in States selected for participation will be paid for by HHS and completed by Federal contractors.

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