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Friday Update takes a break...
There will be no NASUAD Friday Update from August 30 to September 13, due to Labor Day and the HCBS Conference. The Friday Update will resume on September 20.
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National Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Conference
Join NASUAD September 9-12, 2013 for our Annual National HCBS Conference at the The Hyatt Regency Crystal City, Arlington, VA.
NASUAD announces Senator Bob Dole and Dr. Fernando Torres-Gil will receive awards at the HCBS Conference.
Senator Bob Dole, recipient of the 2013 Katie Beckett Award, currently serves as special counsel in Alston & Bird's Legislative & Public Policy Group. He is a renowned statesman who spent over 35 years in Congress, making him the longest serving Republican leader. Senator Dole is being recognized for his leadership on behalf of disability policy. He is respected on both sides of the aisle for his views on bipartisanship, deficit reduction, and health care and he played a pivotal role in the creation of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
Dr. Fernando Torres-Gil, recipient of the 2013 Arthur Flemming Lecture Series Award and for Outstanding Work in Disabilities, is Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at the UCLA School of Public Affairs and he is the Director of the Center for Policy Research on Aging. He is an expert in the fields of health and long-term care, the politics of aging, social policy, ethnicity and disability. Dr. Torres-Gil is being recognized for his academic accomplishments as well as his government and public policy contributions in aging. He was appointed as the first Assistant Secretary of Aging in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, where he played a key role in promoting the importance of aging, disability and long-term care.
pre-conference intensives offered on September 9:
- Aging and Disability Information and Referral/Assistance (I&R/A)
- Balancing Incentive Program
- Medicaid Managed Long-Term Care
- Network Basics 101
- Prevention, Protection and Advocacy
Click here to register for the conference and intensives.
Click here to view the full conference agenda.
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Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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CMS Releases Fact Sheet on People with Medicare and the Health Insurance Marketplace
CMS released a fact sheet entitled, "People with Medicare and the Health Insurance Marketplace," which includes answers to the following questions regarding Medicare beneficiaries:
- How will Health Insurance Marketplace affect my Medicare Coverage?
- Do I need to do anything with Marketplace plans during the Medicare Open enrollment period (October 15 - December 7, 2013)?
- What should I do if I am contacted about signing up for a health plan?
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Health Insurance Marketplace: Certified Application Counselor Organization
If your organization is a community health center or other health care provider, hospital, a non-federal governmental or non-profit social service agency, and your organization would like to help by training your staff to assist people applying for coverage through the Marketplace, you can apply to be a Certified application counselor (CAC) organization.
The responsibilities of CAC organizations include staff and volunteers helping people understand, apply, and enroll for health coverage through the Marketplace. Your organization must agree to make sure that designated individuals complete required training, and that they comply with privacy and security laws, and other program standards. There is no funding awarded as a result of this commitment.
Click here to learn more about becoming a CAC organization.
CMS has also created several widgets (small applications that can be embedded into your website) that will help your clients find information about their health insurance options.
Click here to download the new widgets (click "Show Code" and copy/paste into your homepage).
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State Health Officials Letter: Eligibility Reviews under Payment Error Rate Measurement and the Medicaid Eligibility Quality Control Program
Last week, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services released a letter to State Health Officials with guidance on eligibility reviews under the Payment Error Rate Measurement (PERM) and the Medicaid Eligibility Quality Control (MEQC) programs. In light of substantial changes to the way states adjudicate eligibility for applicants for Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) starting in 2014, CMS will be substituting an annual 50-state strategy with rapid feedback for improvement, in place of the PERM and MEQC eligibility reviews, starting
January 1, 2014, for fiscal years (FY) 2014 - 2016.
Click here to view the official CMS informational bulletin.
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Administration for Community Living
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Conference Call on Ethics in Caregiving for People with Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia
The Administration for Community Living will hold a conference call on Thursday, September 12, 2013 from 3:00 p.m. - 4:15 p.m. ET entitled, "Ethics in Caregiving for People with Alzheimer's disease and Dementia." The presenter will be Lisa Gwyther, MSW, LCSW, Director, Duke Family Support Program, Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center. Space is limited, so please register as early as possible. This call will also be recorded and posted on the AoA website.
Click here to register, or call (888) 869-1189 (Please reference conference ID 29238874 if you register by phone).
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Social Security Administration
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Social Security Administration Change in Terminology: "Mental Retardation" to "Intellectual Disability"
The Social Security Administration (SSA) issued a Final Rule, effective September 3, 2013, to replace the term "mental retardation" with "intellectual disability" in its Listings of Impairments. The SSA Listings of Impairments are used to evaluate claims involving mental disorders in adults and children under Titles II and XVI of the Social Security Act, and in other appropriate sections. The change reflects the widespread adoption of the term "intellectual disability" by Congress, government agencies, and various public and private organizations.
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U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
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Webinar: Policy Priority on Housing and Services, Senior Housing Strategies
HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan has made the relationship between housing and services a priority, recognizing that housing is a platform for health. Jennifer Ho is his senior advisor in this area, working with the Department of Health and Human Services and across HUD to strengthen partnerships that will improve health and housing stability for residents of HUD-assisted housing. Ms. Ho will be the lead presenter on a webinar that will discuss this emerging area of interest and the importance of bringing together a variety of providers and programs to make this effort a success.
The webinar will be held on Monday, September 16, 2013, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET.
Click here to register for the webinar.
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Webinar: Data Issues and Health Care Payment Reforms
Academy Health is holding a free webinar on data issues to consider when implementing health care payment reforms. The webinar will be held Friday, September 13, 2013,from 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET. Speakers will include Harold D. Miller: Strategic Initiatives Consultant, Network for Regional Healthcare Improvement (NRHI), and President/CEO, Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform and Jay Want, MD: Payment and Delivery System Reform Advisor, Network for Regional Healthcare Improvement, and President, Want Healthcare LLC.
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Grandparents Day, September 8, 2013: Take Action Guide
Grandparents Day is celebrated in the United States annually on the second Sunday in September. In 2013, it will be celebrated on September 8th. Generations United has created a "Take Action Guide: Do Something Grand!" which provides tools for community professionals which can be tailored to best fit individual communities. Web resources are also available for grandparents and older adults; Children, youth and younger adults; and grandfamilies.
Click here to learn more about following the call to action for Grandparents Day!
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National Council on Independent Living
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Rescheduled Webinar: What is Next for ADRC/NWD Networks?
Due to technical difficulties, the NCIL webinar entitled, "What is next for the Aging and Disability Resource Centers/No Wrong Door (ADRC/NWD) Networks?" has been rescheduled for Wednesday, August 28, 2013; 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. ET.
The NWD/ADRC Network serves as the foundation for recent efforts to streamline and enhance access to long-term services and supports for individuals with disabilities and older adults. The webinar will cover how stakeholders can build partnerships to take advantage of new funding opportunities, expand funding from existing sources, and share resources among aging and disability partners. NCIL members from Vermont and Connecticut will share promising practices in their states.
If you registered for the original presentation, your registration has been transferred.
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National Research and Training Center for Personal Assistance Services
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Webinar: Emergency Preparedness for Personal Assistance Services
The National Research and Training Center for Personal Assistance Services (PAS) will hold a webinar on emergency preparedness on Wednesday, August 28, 2013 from 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET. This webinar will highlight emergency preparedness tips that are specifically relevant to individuals who use personal assistants, attendants or caregivers. The presenter will be June Isaacson Kailes, who operates a Disability Policy Consulting practice and is the Associate Director of the Harris Family Center for Disability and Health Policy at Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, California.
Click here for more information and to register.
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| National Resource Center for Participant-Directed Services |
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2013 Financial Management Services Conference - Early Registration Rates Ending Soon
The fifth biennial National Resource Center for Participant- Directed Services (NRCPDS) Financial Management Services Conference will be held November 4-5, 2013, in Baltimore, MD. This conference will feature workshops with participant direction tax experts within the IRS as well as other experts and specialists. Early bird registration expires August 31st.
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PBS NewsHour Segment on Olmstead Delays
PBS aired a segment on NewsHour that highlighted delays in state compliance with the Olmstead decision in which Judy Woodruff reports on the struggle states face to fully transition individuals with disabilities out of institutional living in back into their communities. The segment included interviews with Senator Tom Harkin, Diane Rowland of Kaiser Family Foundation, and Jennifer Mathis of the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, among others.
Click here to view the PBS segment video and transcript.
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Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
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Health Insurance Marketplaces: State Approaches to Consumer Assistance Training
Statereforum, an online network for health reform implementation, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, recently compiled a state chart that highlights the approaches states have taken to develop education and training for the individuals who will provide enrollment assistance through Navigator and In-Person Assister (IPA) programs. With open enrollment drawing near, Health Insurance Marketplaces in most states are mobilizing their efforts to provide assistance to individuals who will begin enrolling in coverage options in October.
Click here to view the state chart.
Click here to learn more about Statereforum.
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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 (MCC)
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 information on this funding opportunity.
Applicants must apply for this grant throughwww.grants.gov.
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NHTSA Pedestrian Safety Grants Request for Applications
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is making $2 million in pedestrian safety grants available to cities with the highest rate of pedestrian deaths. The funds can be used for education and enforcement initiatives. NHTSA and the Federal Highway Administration have launched a website with safety tips and resources
for local leaders, city planners, parents, and others involved in improving pedestrian safety. Applications for grant funding are due by August 30, 2013.
Click here for more information and to apply. |
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Network and Infrastructure Support for Development of Interdisciplinary Aging Research
Grant Title: Network and Infrastructure Support for Development of Interdisciplinary Aging Research
Agency Issuing Grant: National Institutes of Health
Eligible Applicants: State governments, Nonprofits, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) and Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
Close Date: September 25, 2013
Funding Opportunity Number: PAR-13-287
CDFA Number: 93.866
Grant Amount: Not announced.
Description: This opportunity provides network and infrastructure support to foster development of novel interdisciplinary research approaches on aging research related to multiple chronic conditions (MCCs). It uses the Resource-Related Research Project activity code (R24) to support research networks that will advance interdisciplinary collaboration through activities such as meetings, conferences, data exchange, small scale pilots, short term training opportunities, visiting scholar programs and dissemination activities to encourage growth and development in the science related to older adults with MCCs.
Click here for more info on this funding opportunity.
Applicants must apply for this grant through www.grants.gov.
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CMS MFP Tribal Initiative Funding
On July 23, 2013, CMS announced a Money Follows the Person (MFP) Tribal Initiative (TI) funding opportunity. The MFP-TI offers existing MFP state grantees and tribal partners the resources to build sustainable community-based long term services and supports (CB-LTSS) specifically for Indian country. The TI may be used to advance the development of an infrastructure required to implement CB-LTSS for American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) using a single, or a variety of applicable Medicaid authorities.
Closing date for applications is October 17th, 2013.
Funding is intended to support the planning and development of:
- An in-state Medicaid program CB-LTSS, as an alternative to institutional care, tailored for AI/AN who are presently receiving services in an institution; and
- A service delivery structure that includes a set of administrative functions delegated by the state Medicaid agency to Tribes or Tribal organizations, such as enabling tribe(s) to design an effective program or package of Medicaid CB-LTSS, and operating day to day functions pertaining to the LTSS program(s).
- The TI may be used to cover costs necessary to plan and implement activities consistent with the objectives of this funding and within Federal grant regulations. The funds are subject to all the terms and conditions of the MFP Program.
Click here for more information on MFP and the funding opportunity.
Applicants must apply for this grant through www.grants.gov. |
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Support for Demonstration Ombudsman Programs Serving Beneficiaries of Financial Alignment Models for Medicare-Medicaid Enrollees Modification 1
Grant Title: Support for Demonstration Ombudsman Programs Serving Beneficiaries of Financial Alignment Models for Medicare-Medicaid Enrollees Modification 1
Agency Issuing Grant: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Eligible Applicants: State governments
Close Date: 2nd Round: October 3, 2013; 3rd Round:January 14, 2014
Funding Opportunity Number: CMS-1J1-13-001
CDFA Number: 93.634
Grant Amount: $3 million for 10 awards
Description: This opportunity provides financial assistance to States to plan, develop and provide Demonstration Ombudsman Program services to individuals who participate in the Financial Alignment model. States will ensure that individual beneficiaries have access to person-centered assistance in resolving problems related to the Demonstration. The program will inform States, Plans, CMS, and other stakeholders regarding beneficiary experience with the Plans and will recommend areas of improvement in States Financial Alignment Initiatives.
Click here for more info on this funding opportunity.
Applicants must apply for this grant through www.grants.gov. |
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Building Evidence: Effective Palliative/End of Life Care Interventions
Grant Title: Building Evidence: Effective Palliative/End of Life Care Interventions
Agency Issuing Grant: National Institutes of Health
Eligible Applicants: State governments, Nonprofits, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) and Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
Close Date: June 9, 2016
Funding Opportunity Number: PAR-13-289
CDFA Number: 93.361
Grant Amount: Not announced.
Description: This opportunity announcement seeks to stimulate research that develops and tests optimal palliative and end-of-life care interventions (models of care) based on measurable outcomes. Palliative Care and End-of-Life (PCEOL) interventions are increasingly needed for all individuals with Life Limiting Illnesses (LLI's) in some form or other, including those who are culturally diverse or aging. Adverse impacts have been shown to extend to the caregivers and families of patients with LLIs. Many individuals with LLI's also may concurrently be suffering from multiple complex comorbidities (MCC's), placing an increasing burden on health, health systems and costs.
Click here for more info on this funding opportunity
Applicants must apply for this grant through www.grants.gov. |
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Wider Opportunities for Women seeks Associate Director for Elder Economic Security Initiative
Wider Opportunities for Women (WOW) has worked for nearly 50 years to build economic security and equal opportunity for women, girls and families across the lifespan. WOW carries out this mission through innovative research, policy advocacy, technical assistance, job training and career and financial literacy training.
WOW's Elder Economic Security Initiative (Elder Initiative) builds economic security for older workers and retirees. The Associate Director will build relationships with state and community organizations that adopt and implement the Initiative; provide training and technical assistance; manage projects; manage data tracking on outcomes at the national, state and community levels; participate in fundraising activities; and contribute to the development of WOW's inter-generational public policy agenda.
A more detailed job description can be found online at www.wowonline.org. Qualified applicants for this position should submit a résumé, cover letter and writing sample electronically by August 26, 2013 to Ms. Vivian Staples (vstaples@wowonline.org). |
VNAA Seeks Government Affairs Manager
Visiting Nurse Associations of America (VNAA) seeks a highly motivated person to assist the Vice President of Public Policy with development and implementation of policy initiatives and grassroots activities including: analysis of legislative/regulatory issues, development of advocacy materials, member engagement and planning annual advocacy conference and direct advocacy outreach to key stakeholders and policymakers. VNAA is a member-driven organization representing nonprofit home health and hospice providers.
For more information, please visit www.VNAA.org.
To apply, email a cover letter, writing sample, resume and current salary to rschmitt@vnaa.org with the subject line: Manager, Government Affairs.
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NCPSSM Seeks Grassroots Associate
The National Committee to Preserve Social Security & Medicare (NCPSSM) has an immediate opening for a Grassroots Associate to provide operational and administrative support to our Grassroots department. For more information, please visit www.ncpssm.org. For full consideration, please send a cover letter with your salary requirements and resume as a Word document to hr@ncpssm.org.
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