The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced enhanced Medicaid funding to states looking to provide more community-based services to elderly and disabled individuals.

Four states — Missouri, Mississippi, Georgia and Iowa — will split a total of $295.6 million in federal Medicaid matching funds to boost home- and community-based services and supports. The funding is authorized under the Balancing Incentive Program, an Affordable Care Act program aimed at keeping Medicaid beneficiaries out of traditional long-term care facilities.

Eligibility for this extra funding is determined by if less than 50% of a state’s total long-term care spending goes toward home and community-based services, according to CMS.

“The healthcare law is giving many seniors and people with disabilities the freedom to continue to live in their homes and communities, rather than in a nursing home,” CMS Acting Administrator Marilyn Tavenner said in a statement.

Click here for more information on the Balancing Incentive Program.