Policy alerts, briefs, letters & papers

Justice in Aging has released a primer providing an overview of Medicaid HCBS, the bias within Medicaid towards institutional care, and how different states are serving older adults with disabilities in the community. It also briefly discusses the race, wealth, and population based inequities in the HCBS system.

The National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care published a summary on CMS' latest guidance on nursing home visitiation, issued on March 10, 2021. The summary highlights key points and changes from the September issue regarding indoor vistation as well as lists potential concerns.

Using data from the 2019 AAA National Survey, this brief, explores differences and similarities between AAAs serving rural and non-rural areas in structure, budget, workforce and service provision, including home repair and modification, transportation and evidence-based programs.

On March 18, 2021 The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a Medicaid Informational Bulletin with the updated 2021 Federal Poverty Level (FPL) Standards. The bulletin also includes the 2021 Dual Eligible Standards chart that displays the new standards for the Medicare Savings Program categories.

This action brief offers an overview of the challenges of caregiving for people living with dementia, then provides state, local, and tribal public health leaders with a framework and resources for action. It calls for public health to employ its chief health strategist role by bringing key stakeholders from multiple sectors to the table — alongside caregivers for adults living with dementia — to develop a broad, 360-degree, macro-level approach to promoting caregiving.

This brief takes a look at multiple measures beyond waiver waiting lists to evaluate state choices about optional Medicaid eligibility pathways, spending, and services for seniors and people with disabilities as of 2018. The analysis draws on KFF resources, including 50-state surveys of Medicaid financial eligibility pathways for seniors and people with disabilities, HCBS waiver programs, and state plan benefits offered, as well as state Medicaid LTSS expenditures reported by Mathematica.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), issued updated guidance for nursing homes to safely expand visitation options during the COVID-19 pandemic public health emergency. This latest guidance comes as more than 3 million doses of vaccines have been administered within nursing homes. Read the full guidance for more information.

The Center for Health Care Strategies, in partnership with the California Health Care Foundation as well as In-Sight Associates, Health Management Associates, and Schoen Consulting, is developing a series of resource packages that share best practices for supporting the integration of community health workers and promotores into programs run by Medicaid managed care plans for members of Medi-Cal. Download the resource to learn more.

The purpose of this study is to examine the physical and mental well-being of community-dwelling older adults and their informal or unpaid caregivers during public health emergencies, such as COVID-19. This project also aims to identify public health interventions and strategies available to support older adults and caregivers during public health emergencies.

This brief shares considerations for health care organizations and government entities seeking to build effective partnerships with the individuals and communities they serve to better address their health and social needs. It draws from the experiences of two sites — Hennepin Healthcare in Minneapolis and the Los Angeles Department of Health Services Whole Person Care Program — that participated in the Community Partnership Pilot, a CHCS made possible by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.