When: September 9-12, 2013

• Pre-Conference workshops: September 9
• HCBS Conference: September 10 - September 12

Where: The Hyatt Regency Crystal CityArlington, VA

 Click here to make a hotel reservation.

The full HCBS Conference agenda is now available online!  Click here to view the full agenda. 

NASUAD Present on New Roles of Aging Network in the Age of MLTSS

On July 9th, 2013, Martha Roherty and John Michael Hall from NASUAD joined Kali Peterson from The SCAN Foundation to present a webinar hosted by Grantmakers in Aging (GIA), Finding New Roles and Purpose for the Aging Network in the Age of Managed Long Term Care Services and Supports. 

The goal of this webinar was to help define new roles, purpose and new markets for these vital links in the nation's aging and disability delivery systems, a pathway that can help these community-based agencies inhabit new roles in the emerging system and serve new audiences, and the expectations that these agencies will need to satisfy in order to perform these functions appropriately and sustainably.

Click here to view and listen to the recorded presentation.

Click here to access the list of past and upcoming webinars provided by Grantmakers in Aging.

AHRQ Seeks Public Comments on a New Report on LTC for Older Adults

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is requesting public comments on a new report titled,  "Long-Term Care for Older Adults: Future Research Needs." As a follow-up the 2012 report "Long-Term Care for Older Adults: A Review of Home and Community-Based Services Versus Institutional Care," this report identifies gaps in the current research on long-term care for older adults that limited the conclusions of the 2012 report, and intends to inform those who conduct and fund research about this topic.

This report will remain open for comment until 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on Aug. 14, 2013. Complete citation for the report open for comment:

Wysocki A, Butler M, Kane RL, Shippee T. Future Research Needs: Long-Term Care for Older Adults. Future Research Needs Paper No. 44. (Prepared by the Universityof Minnesota Evidence-based Practice Center under Contract No. 290-2007-10064-I). AHRQ Publication No.13-EHC120-EF. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality;July 2013.

Full report and instructions for commenting available here.

Proposed Marketplace Integrity Guidelines Outlined

CMS has released a proposed rule outlining program integrity guidelines for the Health Insurance Marketplace (Marketplace) and premium stabilization programs.

Through the Affordable Care Act, consumers and small businesses will have access to new Marketplaces where they can access quality, affordable private health insurance. Consumers in every state will be able to buy insurance from qualified health plans directly through these Marketplaces and may be eligible for tax credits to lower the cost of their health insurance.

Many of the provisions in the proposed rule build on guidance previously issued to states and other key stakeholders. These policies offer clarity on the oversight of various premium stabilization and affordability programs, build on state options regarding the Small Business Health Options Program, and provide technical clarifications.

www.Healthcare.gov is the official national website of the Health Insurance Marketplaces.

Open enrollment in the Marketplace begins October 1, 2013, with coverage to begin January 1, 2014.

On July 24th, 2013, the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services (CMCS) issued an Informational Bulletin, Targeting Medicaid Super-Utilizers to Decrease Costs and Improve Quality, to share details of care delivery and payment models to help states and Medicaid providers better meet the complex needs of the highest utilizers of acute care in Medicaid populations. CMCS is committed to supporting innovative care delivery models with potential to improve care, improve health, and reduce costs. Programs that target "super-utilizers" - beneficiaries with complex, unaddressed health issues and a history of frequent encounters with health care providers - demonstrate early promise of realizing these goals for Medicaid populations.

Electronic Health Records (EHRs) Improve Patient and Physician Communication

On July 17th, 2013, CMS released new data that demonstrate that doctors and hospitals are using electronic health records (EHRs) to provide more information securely to patients and are using that information to help manage their patients' care. Doctors, hospitals, and other eligible health care providers that have adopted or meaningfully used certified EHRs can receive incentive payments through the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs. Already, approximately 80 percent of eligible hospitals and more than 50 percent of eligible professionals have adopted EHRs and received incentive payments from Medicare or Medicaid.

The Obama administration has encouraged the adoption of health information technology starting with the passage of the Recovery Act in 2009. The Act has been a critical factor in improving the quality of health care and lowering costs, and ultimately transforming our health care delivery system.

Click here to review the full press release.

CMS Announces Pioneer Accountable Care Organizations Succeed in Improving Care, Lowering Costs

On July 16th, 2013, CMS announced positive and promising results from the first performance year of the Pioneer Accountable Care Organization (ACO) Model, including both higher quality care and lower Medicare expenditures.  Made possible by the Affordable Care Act, the Pioneer ACO Model encourages providers and caregivers to deliver more coordinated care for Medicare beneficiaries. ACOs, including the Pioneer ACO Model and the Medicare Shared Savings Program, are examples of how CMS is providing options to providers who are trying to coordinate care more effectively for patients, and use health care dollars more wisely.

Click here for more information on the announcement.

Click here to learn more about the Pioneer ACO Model.

Direct Service Workforce Resource Center's Summer Webinar Series

This CMS webinar is the second session in the Direct Service Workforce Resource Center's Summer Webinar Series. The webinar will focus on methods and approaches to understand and evaluate the strength and quality of each State's LTSS workforce. It will focus on measuring and incentivizing workforce quality in fee-for-service, participant-directed and managed LTSS models. 

When: July 31, 2013 3:00-4:30 p.m. ET

Call-in number: 866-233-3841 (Passcode: 297171)

Click here to register for the webinar.

Physician Compare Website Redesigned

Physician Compare, a website that allows consumers to search and compare information about hundreds of thousands of physicians and other health care professionals, has been redesigned to make the site easier to use and provide new information for consumers.

Physician Compare was improved based on user and partner feedback, as part of improvements in the Affordable Care Act. The redesign includes new information on physicians, such as:

• Information about specialties offered by doctors and group practices;
• Whether a physician is using electronic health records;
• Board certification; and
• Affiliation with hospitals and other health care professionals.

Physician Compare is also now connected to the most consistently updated database so that consumers will find the most accurate and up-to-date information available. In 2014 quality data will be added which will help users choose a medical professional based on performance ratings.  

Click here for more information on the website.

Senate Introduces Bill to Reauthorize the Workforce Investment Act (WIA)

On July 24th, 2013, a bill was introduced in the U.S. Senate, S. 1356, to reauthorize the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) and its contained Rehabilitation Act. The bill proposes to amend the Act to strengthen the United States workforce development system through innovation in, and alignment and improvement of employment, training, and education programs in the United States, and to promote individual and national economic growth. Sponsoring the bill is Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), with bipartisan cosponsors Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), and Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA). The bill has been referred to the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee and is scheduled to be marked up on July 31, 2013.

This bill has historic significance for Independent Living, including the introduction of a new Independent Living Administration (ILA).It also has several provisions that strengthen America's Centers for Independent Living (CILs) and Statewide Independent Living Councils (SILCs), and would relocate the Independent Living Program from the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) in the Department of Education, to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in the Administration for Community Living (ACL). The text of this bill is not yet available for public viewing.

Click here for the U.S. Department of Justice Guide to Disability Rights Laws, including the Rehabilitation Act.

The Consumer Voice Holds 37th Annual Conference

The Consumer Voice Annual Conference will be held in Hilton Crystal City at Washington Reagan National Airport from October 24th to 27th. A preliminary draft agenda is now available.

• Engage in one-on-one dialogue with consumers of long-term services and supports;
• Get the latest policy updates directly from key experts at the federal level;
• Learn about best practices nationwide;
• Attend skills trainings and acquire tools and resources;
• Leave the meeting with specific information and takeaways to help you put your systems or individual advocacy into action. 

Click here to register. 

Click here to view more information about the Annual Conference. 

Webinar: Payment and Delivery System Reform

The National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) will host a webinar entitled, "Payment and Delivery System Reform: It's All About the Data, States!" on July 30, 2013 2:30-4:00 pm ET. This webinar will explore the types of data multi-payer initiatives need to succeed, where states can get data, and how to use it. It will also highlight approaches to using various types of data from three leading states: Vermont, Tennessee, and Maine. 

This webinar is the third in a multi-part NASHP series to help states that are ready to take the next step in thinking about multi-payer approaches to payment and delivery reform, moving beyond the medical home. Click here to register. 

Click here to view previous webinars in the series. 

• Who is eligible for the SNAP medical expense deduction;
• How you can get involved with state advocacy for a state standard medical deduction; and
• Where to get helpful resources and tools to help older adults maximize SNAP benefits by providing proof of medical deductions.

Click here to register for the webinar.  

NCIL Holds a Teleconference on ADRC/NWD Network Partnership

National Center for Independent Living (NCIL) will hold a teleconference on August 6, 2013, 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. ET. State and local ADRC networks have created strong partnerships across aging and disability organizations and assumed critical roles in the conversation and planning on re-balancing LTSS. This teleconference will tell you how you can build on those partnerships to take advantage of new funding opportunities, expand funding from existing sources, and share resources with partners. NCIL members from Vermont and Connecticut will share some of their successes. Come hear why you should be at the table in these discussions in your state.

Click here to reserve your spot on the teleconference.

Rosline Gilbert Innovations in Alzheimer's Disease Caregiving Legacy Award

Nonprofit organizations, government agencies and universities are invited to apply for the sixth annual Rosalinde Gilbert Innovations in Alzheimer's Disease Caregiving Legacy Award. The application is available on the Family Caregiver Alliance (FCA) website.

Through a grant to FCA's National Center on Caregiving from the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation, three awards of $20,000 each will be given to organizations to recognize unique programs that address the needs of Alzheimer's caregivers. One award will be granted in each of three categories:

• Creative Expression
• Diverse/Multicultural Communities
• Policy and Advocacy

Rapid Secondary Analysis to Optimize Care for Patients with Multiple Chronic Conditions

Grant Title: Rapid Secondary Analysis to Optimize Care for Patients with Multiple Chronic Conditions

Agency Issuing Grant: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

Eligible Applicants: State governments, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) and Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)

Close Date: August 28, 2013

Funding Opportunity Number: RFA-HS-14-001

CDFA Number: 93.226

Grant Amount: $1,600,000 for 4 grants

Description: This opportunity seeks to fund research studies that can be conducted rapidly and will provide evidence to optimize processes, care, treatments and health of MCC patients. The goal is to provide scientific evidence and information for use by patients and the clinical community to best manage care of MCC patients.

Click here for more info on this funding opportunity.

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