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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has made the recordings of the 2023 National Training Program (NTP) Virtual Workshop available on their website for those who were unable to attend the live sessions. Session topics include: Social Security Medicare Enrollment, Eligibility, Part A, and Part B Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) Drug Coverage When Using Medicare Medicare Advantage Medicare for People with Disabilities Medicare for People with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Medicare Current Topics Coordination of Benefits Medicare Scenarios (Casework Session) Medicare & Tax-Favored Health Programs Medicare Plan Finder

NCOA has issued a call for presentations for their 7th Annual Older Adult Mental Health Awareness Day symposium. The free virtual event is scheduled for Thursday, May 2, 2024, and will be hosted by NCOA with funding provided by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The symposium is designed to raise awareness to better address the issues of older adult mental health and substance use disorders and highlight resources, case studies, and initiatives available to practitioners working with adults age 50+ living in the community. Last year, over 9,500 people registered for the event...

As the nation enters cold and flu season, USAging, through the ADVC, has launched a national marketing campaign to encourage older adults and people with disabilities to roll up their sleeves this fall and winter. Launched this spring with funding from the U.S. Administration for Community Living (ACL), the USAging-led ADVC is working with nearly 1,600 grantees and partners to inform and educate consumers about the importance of vaccination—and to connect them to local organizations that can help them get vaccinated. USAging’s You’ve Got This campaign is aimed at encouraging older adults, people with disabilities, caregivers and families to stay healthy by getting vaccinated.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently announced that beginning Monday, September 25th, every U.S. household can again place an order to receive four more free COVID-19 rapid tests delivered to their home.

On September 18, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule to streamline enrollment in the Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs), helping to increase participation in the MSPs by an estimated 860,000 people. The MSPs, run by state Medicaid programs, cover Medicare premiums and, in most cases, cost-sharing for more than 10 million older adults and people with disabilities who have limited incomes. Only about half of eligible people are currently enrolled, in part due to cumbersome application and verification processes. CMS also estimates the final rule will save older adults and people with disabilities nearly 19 million hours in paperwork each year and reduce state administrative burden by over 2 million hours...

Kaiser Family Foundation's (KFF) recent analysis examines the recently proposed rule by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), focusing on new requirements for nurse staffing levels in nursing facilities. The new proposed rule includes several provisions to bolster staffing in nursing homes. It proposes a minimum of 0.55 registered nurse (RN) and 2.45 nurse aide hours per resident day; requires facilities to have an RN on staff 24 hours per day, 7 days per week; strengthens staffing assessment and enforcement strategies; creates new reporting requirements regarding Medicaid payments for institutional long-term services and supports (LTSS); and provides $75 million for training for nurse aides...

The National Clearinghouse on Abuse in Later Life’s (NCALL) newly released resource, “Collaborating for Justice for Older African Americans Guide,” aims to equip professionals working with older adults to build stronger and more equitable collaborations with African American community-based and culturally-specific programs. This guide presents the insights of stakeholders from African American culturally-specific programs across the country who shared their expertise, experiences, and understanding of the cultural nuances and historical context of services and community collaboration...

In April, The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the ‘HHS Bridge Access Program For COVID-19 Vaccines and Treatments Program’ to maintain broad access to COVID-19 vaccines for millions of uninsured Americans. This program, Administered through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has created a unique public-private partnership to help maintain uninsured individuals’ access to COVID-19 care at their local pharmacies, through existing public health infrastructure, and at their local health centers. This week, the program officially launches, providing continued free coverage for the estimated 25-30 million adults who would have otherwise lost access to affordable COVID-19 vaccines...

The Administration for Community Living (ACL), in collaboration with the disability and aging networks it funds, is committed to protecting the voting rights of older adults and people with disabilities. Through ACL's programs, a variety of resources are available, including information, education, supportive services, and legal assistance, all aimed at improving voting process accessibility in partnership with states and communities. ACL has released a dedicated webpage to serve as a resource "hub" to make it easier for people with disabilities and older adults to find the voting resources they need.

The U.S. Census Bureau recently released its annual reports on poverty, income, and health insurance for 2022. Key findings relevant to aging and disability networks included: Of the more common subtypes of health insurance coverage, employment-based insurance was the most prevalent, covering 54.5% of the population for some or all of the calendar year, followed by Medicaid (18.8%), Medicare (18.7%), and direct-purchase coverage (9.9%). Between 2021 and 2022, the rate of Medicare coverage increased by 0.3 percentage points to cover 18.7% of people. This increase was in part due to growth in the number of people age 65 and older...