In addition, NCSL has collected executive orders, legislation and draft plans from the states. A major strategy in response to the Olmstead decision has been the creation of task forces or commissions to assess current long-term care systems and to develop plans. The North Dakota executive director of the Human Services Department organized an internal work group that held public hearings through an interactive video network and issued a white paper which requested the governor to appoint a commission to develop a comprehensive state plan. All of these groups are state-funded. Only a few states have finalized their plans, but most will complete them in 2001.
States are in various stages of the planning process.
A few have issued their final, comprehensive plans. That letter contains an enclosure entitled Developing Comprehensive, Effectively Working Plans, Initial Technical Assistance Recommendations . These states' plans appear to meet HCFA's recommendations. None of these plans have yet been implemented because they were very recently issued, and their full implementation is contingent upon new state appropriations. Governors, legislators, state health and Medicaid officials, people with disabilities and their representatives and the federal government have played strong roles in the planning process in most states.