National HCBS Conference: Call for Sessions Deadline Approaching! 

Volunteers Matter: Excellence in Volunteer Services Award

NASUAD, with funding from the Volunteer Collaborative, is proud to announce the 2013 Volunteers Matter: Excellence in Volunteer Services Awards. This initiative is designed to highlight successful state-run programs that are leading the way in the creative use of volunteers in the long-term services and supports network.  The award is open to programs that help older adults and persons with disabilities in the long-term services and supports system. Programs must be statewide in scope and operation.  Winning programs will demonstrate innovations in one or more of the following:

• Promoting intergenerational interaction
• Incorporating Baby Boomers as volunteers
• Including Veterans as volunteers or recipients
• Creative strategies for recruitment and retention of volunteers of varying backgrounds, ages and abilities 

Three awards will be given at the 2013 HCBS Conference.  Winners will receive:

• A cash prize of $1,000 to be used to strengthen the winning volunteer program
• An all-expenses paid trip to the 2013 HCBS conference, September 9-12 in Washington, D.C. where each winner will be recognized and highlight their program's success with the other winners in a joint workshop
• A NASUAD press release highlighting the program along with recognition on the NASUAD website

Submissions will be accepted from January 31st through May 30th, 2013.  Winners will be notified in June, 2013 to prepare for formal announcement at the 2013 HCBS conference.    

Click here for descriptions from the 2012 winning programs.   

Click here for a copy of the invitation to submit.

Older Americans Month Website Updated for 2013

Each May our nation celebrates Older Americans Month.  To help communities get ready for this year's celebration-now it its 50th year-the Administration for Community Living (ACL) has updated its Older Americans Month website for 2013.  The website contains resources and ways to help spread the word about Older Americans Month and plan an event in your community.  On the website, you will find information on:

• "Unleash the Power" Challenge: A contest in which organizations can nominate individuals who have used their talents and expertise to make a positive impact in their communities.
• Activity Ideas: Get inspirations and ideas on how you can celebrate Older Americans Month locally by unleashing the power of age through community and creativity.
• Social Media Gallery: Get content you can use to promote Older Americans Month to your social media networks.
• Download Center: Access a collection of images for your organization's website, and text for newsletters. 

Click here for more information.

Unleash the Power of Age in Your Community Challenge

Federal and State Oversight of Medicaid Expenditures

On March 18, CMS released a letter to State Medicaid Directors (SMD) discussing mutual obligations and accountability on the part of the state and federal governments for the integrity of the Medicaid program and the development, application, and improvement of safeguards necessary to ensure proper and appropriate use of both federal and state dollars. The letter also discusses a new requirement that states submit upper payment limit (UPL) demonstrations on an annual basis, and guidance on the format and method of UPL demonstration, which is available online here.

Click here to access the SMD letter.

HHS Seeking Nominations for Alzheimer's Advisory Council

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) is soliciting nominations for a new, non-Federal member of the Advisory Council on Alzheimer's Research, Care, and Services to fill the position of representative of a voluntary health association as described in Public Law 111-375 (42 U.S.C. 11225).

The Advisory Council consists of at least 22 members and meets quarterly to discuss the efficacy of government programs targeting the needs of individuals and caregivers coping with the consequences of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD).  This Advisory Council provided comments on the National Plan for ADRD which was developed by HHS.  On an annual basis, the Advisory Council shall evaluate the implementation of the recommendations through an updated National Plan.

Nominations must be submitted on April 12, 2013 before close of business to Helen Lamont, PhD at Helen.Lamont@hhs.gov.  

House Adopts Ryan Budget Plan, Senate to Vote on Murray Plan This Weekend

Last week, the House and Senate Budget Committee chairs Paul Ryan (R-WI) and Patty Murray (D-WA) unveiled their respective FY14 budget resolutions.  As anticipated, the two chambers lay out vastly different approaches to long-term deficit reduction.  Yesterday, the House passed Rep. Ryan's FY14 budget, sending it to the democratically-controlled Senate for approval, where it was rejected 40-59.  The upper chamber is expected to vote on Sen. Murray's blueprint this weekend.

The House plan seeks to balance the budget over ten years without any revenue increases.  Accordingly, Rep. Ryan's plan relies heavily on reductions to projected spending, including $4.6 trillion in cuts to domestic programs over this time frame, relative to the Congressional Budget Office's (CBO) current-law baseline.  Like last year's version, the FY14 House budget resolution would also repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), turn Medicare into a defined contribution system for individuals currently under the age of 55, and convert Medicaid into a block grant program to states - tying the federal contribution to inflation and population growth, but not actual health care costs. The committee's various documents related to the FY14 budget resolution can be found here. 

Senate Democrats' framework, meanwhile, does not attempt to balance the federal budget.  Instead, Sen. Murray's plan would reduce the deficit by $1.85 trillion over the next decade through a one-to-one ratio of spending cuts and revenue increases.  Accordingly, the Senate plan consists of $975 billion in new tax revenue and $975 billion in spending cuts over ten years.  Of the spending cuts, $275 billion would come from health care - $265 billion in savings to be found in Medicare, and $10 billion in Medicaid.  Though Sen. Murray is clear to say that any such reductions should harm beneficiaries or jeopardize the ACA's Medicaid expansion, she leaves the specific decisions about how the proposed cuts would be made to the committees of jurisdiction. The Senate's budget plan and supporting documents are available here.

Since sequestration was created by Congress, it will take another act of Congress to undo it.  Notably, budget resolutions do not have the force of law, meaning the blueprints introduced last week lack the necessary authority to address the automatic cuts.  Recognizing that additional legislation must be enacted to replace sequestration, Sen. Murray's plan calls on lawmakers to do so, based on the balanced approach in the Senate's budget resolution.  In contrast, the House budget resolution would keep sequestration in place, meaning Rep. Ryan's proposed domestic savings would be on top of the $1.2 trillion currently scheduled to be achieved through sequestration.

Given the stark differences between the House and Senate FY14 budget plans, the two chambers are not expected to reach a compromise agreement, or joint resolution, to guide congressional spending decisions in the next fiscal year.  The President's budget request to Congress for FY14 is tentatively set for release in early April, nearly two months after the February deadline.

With the Continuing Resolution (CR) currently funding the federal government set to expire on March 27 - and Congress set to leave town for a two week recess beginning Monday - both chambers have been working on proposals to fund federal programs for the remainder of FY13.

On Wednesday, the Senate passed an amended version of the six-month CR (HR 933) that the House cleared two weeks ago.  The upper chamber made several changes to the original measure, but did so with bicameral and bipartisan support, so as to ensure smooth passage.  Accordingly, yesterday, the House swiftly approved the final FY13 spending measure.  The package includes new appropriations bills for FY13 Agriculture; Commerce-Justice-Science; Defense; Homeland Security; and Military Construction-Veterans Affairs programs, but continues the current CR's funding levels for other appropriations categories, including Labor, HHS, and Education.

Importantly, the CR maintains the BCA's sequester for the rest of FY13.  Therefore, additional legislation must be passed to retroactively address these cuts.   This was expected, as leadership in both parties sought to decouple sequestration from the funding bill in order to avoid the threat of a government shutdown. For more information, on HR 933, please follow this link.

With funding levels now set through September, federal agencies will soon be able to calculate the exact reductions that each of their sequesterable programs are facing in the remaining months of FY13.   Once the applicable across-the-board (ATB) cuts are applied at the program level, agencies will then be able to determine what this means for states and other stakeholders.   Given the complexity of this task, it will likely take several weeks before any updated information is available.   For more details about the potential impact of sequestration on OAA state formula grant programs, please see ACL's recently-released impact estimates, which are subject to change based on the final FY13 CR.

How Healthy is Your County?

Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures Report

Two Focus Groups for Consumers 

New Resource on Dementia Care 

Grant Title: Nationwide Program for National and State Background Checks for Direct Patient Access Employees of Long Term Care Facilities and Providers - 9th Announcement

Agency Issuing Grant: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Eligible Applicants: State governments

Close Date: May 30, 2013

Funding Opportunity Number: CMS-1A1-13-002

CDFA Number: 93.506

Grant Amount: $15,000,000 for 5 awards

Description: This opportunity invites proposals from all States and U.S. territories to be considered for inclusion in this National Background Check Program. Federal matching funds are available to all who meet the requirements described in section 6201 of the Affordable Care Act. CMS has awarded a technical support contract to support the States that are selected to participate in the program.

Applicants must apply for this grant through www.grants.gov.

Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month