GT Independence Celebrates 20 Years of Helping People Self-Direct Their Care
Michigan-based Fiscal Intermediary Ranked Among Top FMS Providers in the Industry
STURGIS, Mich., Nov. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — GT Independence, a financial management services (FMS) company focused on helping people self-direct their long-term care and support services at home or in community-based settings, is celebrating two decades of helping people live the life of their choosing, regardless of age or ability. The company — which now employs more than 800 people and serves approximately 50,000 participants across 17 states and the District of Columbia — has undergone a remarkable expansion in recent years and is positioned to continue on its growth path.
“GT Independence was built by a family, for families, with the aim of helping people navigate the complexities of home and community-based services (HCBS) and live life on their own terms,” said Holly Carmichael, CEO of GT Independence. “By easing the burden of managing the financial and legal aspects of self-directed care and partnering with state program partners to build best-in-class programs, we move closer to our goal of a world where everyone has the option to self-direct.”
Growth and Commitment to Excellence
Since serving its first participant in 2004 as a start-up company in Sturgis, GT Independence has experienced tremendous growth and development to serve thousands of individuals across the country. It is the most diverse fiscal intermediary in the nation in terms of contracts and programs, and it has more than doubled in size since 2021, growing 115% in just under three years. With more than 330 employees based in the Sturgis area, it is also one of the largest employers in St. Joseph County.
GT Independence attributes much of its success to a focus on continual innovation and improvement across its services, tools, and resources. The company is the only CARF-Accredited and HITRUST-Certified FMS in the country, meeting the third-party accreditors’ high standards for quality assurance and IT security, respectively. GT Independence’s proprietary technology enables secure and easy enrollment, electronic visit verification (EVV), payroll, and reporting, among other necessary functions. Further, the company prioritizes exceptional customer service, which is evidenced by its commitment to providing representative support, as 13% of staff live with some sort of disability, and by removing language as a barrier, as more than 22 languages are spoken by staff.
Throughout its growth, the company’s mission has remained consistent and clear: to help people live a life of their choosing, regardless of age or ability, by removing the barriers that can make self-direction feel overwhelming. “We handle the details—onboarding employees, payroll, tracking budgets, and handling taxes—so families can focus on living,” added Carmichael. “As a company founded by a family who needs and uses services, GT understands the challenges families face, and we are committed to supporting them with compassionate, comprehensive service and an excellent experience.”
Looking Ahead
Early this October, GT Independence’s employees gathered at the company’s headquarters in Sturgis during its annual GT Week to celebrate the 20-year milestone, reflect on past achievements, and strategize on how to achieve future goals. Chief among those goals is getting to the point where every American has the option to self-direct. Currently, roughly 269 Medicaid HCBS waivers are available across the country, but only about half offer self-direction as an option. For GT Independence, an ideal future is one in which all 269 waivers accommodate self-direction, and as the company enters its third decade, it will keep advocating strongly for this right while remaining true to its core values of self-determination, professionalism, integrity, community, excellence, and respect.
“From our humble beginnings, GT Independence’s mission has centered on advocating for greater autonomy and inclusion for people of all abilities. Our commitment to advocacy, accessibility, and technology has fueled our growth in service of this mission,” added Carmichael. “We envision a future where all HCBS waivers provide self-direction as an option. Further, we are ready to deliver the person-centered, values-driven services and tools that maximize individual choice and control, making self-direction easier for participants and state program partners alike, at every stage of the journey.”
For more information, please visit https://gtindependence.com/.
About GT Independence
GT Independence’s mission is to help individuals live their lives according to their choosing regardless of age or ability. Driven by years of experience with self-directed care, GT Independence supports individuals in directing their own home and community-based services by administering the financial, technical, and legal aspects of hiring and managing their own support staff. Founded in 2004, GT Independence is a family-owned, national financial management services provider that delivers specialized fiscal intermediary services to support individuals with disabilities and long-term care needs. The Carmichaels founded GT in 2004 after personally experiencing the rewards and challenges of helping a family member with self-directed services. GT Independence has expanded from its home state of Michigan to serve more than 50,000 individuals across 17 states and the District of Columbia. For more information about GT Independence, please visit gtindependence.com.
Media Contact: Pete Johnson, 503-546-7880, pete.johnson@finnpartners.com
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