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NASUAD Hosts a Chinese Delegation in the Washington, DC Area
On December 8 and 9, NASUAD hosted a delegation of nine professionals from Chengdu City, the capital of Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China. The delegation was interested in viewing successful models for senior care in the U.S., especially Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs), in order to glean ideas for China's quickly-developing commercial housing market for older adults. The nine delegates included a government official; investors; senior living facility architects; a home care/adult day health division manager; and leaders of senior living communities, investment companies, and architect firms.
Delegates visited several residences for older adults in the Washington, DC area including Riderwood, a CCRC in Silver Spring, MD; the Green House Residences at Stadium Place, in Baltimore, MD; and Asbury Methodist Village, a CCRC in Gaithersburg, MD. After their visit to the DC area, the delegates attended the Illinois Governor's Conference on Aging, where they were hosted by Director John K Holton, Ph. D, Illinois Department on Aging (IDoA), and NASUAD member. The delegation was joined in Chicago by Ms. Feng Xiaoli, Vice President and Secretary General of China Association of Social Welfare in Chicago. Ms. Feng co-presented with NASUAD staff member, Mike Hall, in the opening conference session, and shared China's key aging issues and proposed solutions.
Delegates included Ms. Ming Liu, Ms. Chun Li, Ms. Yutong Liu, Mr. Wei Xu, Mr. Yangchun Li, Mr. Bangguo Cao, Mr. Tao Zhong, Mr. Jinan Cheng, Mr. Zhigang Zuo.
Click here to view a photo of the delegation.
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| Aging Network Volunteer Collaborative |
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PowerUp! Webinar: Learn about Experiences of Self-Directed Success
Join the Aging Network's Volunteer Collaborative webinar on December 19th, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET, to learn from two presenters why and how self-directed teams are critical to the future of volunteerism with older adults. Also hear about the impact achieved in their respective organizations and local communities.
Presenters include Christine Beatty, Director, Madison Senior Center, Wisconsin; and Scott Martin, Self Directed Volunteer Network Facilitator, Delaware.
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Got an Hour? Post Your Volunteer Opportunities to Win
The Got an Hour? Give it Back Campaign connects potential volunteers with the aging network's opportunities to help seniors. Powered by VolunteerMatch.org, the Campaign's website GiveItBacktoSeniors.org, provides downloadable materials, webinars, and a search tool to help your agency connect to prospective volunteers in your neighborhood.
Post your organization's volunteer opportunities on VolunteerMatch.org between now and January 31, and you'll be automatically entered to win a $50 gift card. Contact Rachel Feldman at NASUAD with questions:
RFeldman@nasuad.org.
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Administration for Community Living
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Evaluation of the National Family Caregiver Support Program
The Administration for Community Living is directing a national, comprehensive evaluation of the National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP). The evaluation will assess the impact of the program at several levels and will document how NFCSP goals are being met, and how programs are being implemented in the field.
The Federal Register Notice for public comment regarding the proposed NFCSP Evaluation information collection activities was posted on November 20, 2013.
Written or electronic comments on the proposed information collection activities must be submitted to Alice-Lynn Ryssman by January 21, 2014.
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Department of Health and Human Services
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HHS Announces Affordable Care Act Mental Health Services Funding
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that it plans to issue a $50 million funding opportunity announcement to help Community Health Centers establish or expand behavioral health services for people living with mental illness, and drug and alcohol problems.
Community Health Centers will be able to use these new funds, made available through the Affordable Care Act, for efforts such as hiring new mental health and substance use disorder professionals, adding mental health and substance use disorder services, and employing team-based models of care.
Click here to read the full announcement.
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Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Updated Annual Medicaid Expenditure for Long-Term Services and Supports Report
CMS published the annual updated Medicaid Expenditure Report for Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS). Medicaid expenditures for LTSS in FFY 2011 totaled $136.2 billion, including both federal and state contributions. Spending increased only 0.8 percent from FY 2010, the smallest annual increase since Truven Health began compiling this annual report for CMS in 1988.
The Medicaid Expenditure Report is a companion to the LTSS Expenditures report that highlights spending from 1915(c) Home and Community-Based Services Waivers.
CMS also released a second report, which summarizes data about 1915(c) waiver programs submitted by states on the CMS 372 report. The CMS 372 includes both expenditures and participant information.
Click here for the full listing of recently released CMS reports related to LTSS.
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CMS to Delay Implementation of Meaningful Use for Electronic Health Records
CMS proposed a new timeline for the implementation of meaningful use for the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Records (EHR) Incentive Programs. As of October 2013, 85 percent of eligible hospitals and more than six in 10 eligible professionals had received a Medicare or Medicaid EHR incentive payment. Moreover, nine in 10 eligible hospitals and eight in 10 eligible professionals had taken the initial step of registering for the Medicare or Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs as of October 2013.
Click here to read the full announcement.
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Centers for Disease Control
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National Influenza Vaccination Week: December 8-14, 2013The CDC established National Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW) in 2005 to remind individuals to get their flu shot before peak flu season. The CDC recommends that everyone over 6 months of age get a year flu vaccine to protect against this illness. Those at highest risk of developing flu-related health complications include adults 65 and older, and individuals with compromised immune systems and/or chronic medical conditions. Medicare Part B covers the cost of the flu vaccine for enrollees and may also cover the cost of the pneumonia vaccine. Click here for the CDC Influenza Awareness Campaign Media Toolkit. Click here to access NIVW 2013 Flyers and Posters.
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Lawmakers Unveil Bipartisan Budget Deal
On Tuesday evening, House Budget Chair Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) and Senate Budget Chair Patty Murray (D-Wash.) unveiled a bipartisan, bicameral budget deal that would, in part, restore $63 billion in discretionary spending authority over the next two years.
The agreement, the Bipartisan Budget Act (BBA, HJ Res 59), partially rolls back the sequester for fiscal years (FY) 2014 and 2015 by increasing the Budget Control Act of 2011's (BCA) spending caps by $45 billion in FY14 and $18 billion in FY15. Just as sequestration cuts are equally divided between defense and non-defense programs, the sequestration relief provided under the negotiated deal would also be equally split between defense and non-defense programs.
To more than offset the $63 billion in restored spending authority - and therefore achieve additional deficit reduction - the agreement includes $85 billion in cuts to mandatory programs and non-tax revenue increases. Among the major offsets is a two-year extension of the BCA's requirement that certain mandatory spending be sequestered each year, including payments to Medicare providers and the Social Services Block Grant. Under current law, sequestration is scheduled to end in 2021; extending the cuts on the mandatory side through FY23 would achieve $28 billion in savings. Additionally, provisions requiring new federal workers to pay more toward their retirement plans and reducing the cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) for military retirees under the age of 62 would save $12.2 billion.
The House approved the measure on Thursday evening (332-94), in one of its final votes of the year. The House-passed version includes an amendment that, in part, provides a short-term extension of expiring health programs and prevents the scheduled 23.7 percent reduction in the Medicare reimbursement rate for physicians.
Senate consideration of the BBA as amended is expected next week, and passage is likely.
For more information on sequestration, please see NASUAD's recently-released analysis, Sequestration in 2014, available here. We will update this document to reflect any changes to the sequester that result from the pending budget agreement. |
Budget Deal Extends Health Programs, Doc Fix for Three Months
The House approved an amendment to the Bipartisan Budget Act (BBA) that blocks a scheduled 23.7 percent cut to Medicare reimbursements for physicians, set to occur in January in order to meet the sustainable growth rate (SGR). To prevent these cuts, the package includes a short-term "doc fix," which increases current rates by 0.5 percent through March 2014. The agreement also temporarily extends more than a dozen Medicare-related programs, which are often addressed in year-end legislation along with the doc fix.
Among these so-called 'extenders' is $12.5 million over the first three months of 2014 for outreach and enrollment assistance to low-income Medicare beneficiaries. This amount includes $3.75 million each for Area Agencies on Aging and State Health Insurance Assistance Programs, $2.5 million for Aging and Disability Resource Centers, and $2.5 million to contract with the National Center for Benefits and Outreach Enrollment.
Lawmakers hope this short-term doc fix patch will give them time early next year to finish work on a more permanent replacement measure, which may also include longer-term health program extenders.
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FY14 Appropriations Process Underway
The bipartisan budget agreement negotiated by House and Senate conferees sets total discretionary spending in FY14 - both defense and non-defense -at $1.012 trillion. Of this amount, $520.5 billion would go to defense programs, while $491.8 billion would be available to fund non-defense programs.
In allocating these dollars, Congressional appropriators will have the same discretion they always do in deciding what programs to fund and by how much. Accordingly, until FY14 appropriations bills are written, we will not know which programs will receive a portion of the restored funding.
Negotiations have begun to allocate the anticipated funding among the 12 individual appropriations bills, which lawmakers hope to join together in a single spending package for all of FY14, also known as an omnibus bill. Notably, the Continuing Resolution (CR) currently funding the federal government expires on January 15. If appropriators are unable to find consensus on one or more of the 12 spending bills before this deadline, which is likely, they will have to rely on another short-term CR to maintain program funding while they work out their differences.
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American Association of People with Disabilities
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2013 Compendium on Disability Statistics
On December 11, 2013, the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) released their 2013 Compendium on Disability Statistics, a web-based tool that pools disability statistics published by various federal agencies together in one place.
Key findings from the 2013 Compendium include:
- Labor force participation for people with disabilities has been nominally decreasing since 2008. Currently, 20.6 percent of people with disabilities participate in the labor force, compared to 69.4 percent of people without disabilities.
- 13.4 percent of people with disabilities are unemployed, compared to 7.9 percent of people without disabilities.
- 28.4 percent of people with disabilities with a Bachelor's degree or higher are employed, compared to 76.1 percent of people without disabilities.
Click here for more information on, and to download the
2013 Compendium on Disabilities Statistics.
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National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a)
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Home for the Holidays Conversations Campaign
The Eldercare Locator launched its eleventh annual "Home for the Holidays" campaign for older adults with a focus on conversations about health, legal, financial and end-of-life issues. The annual holiday campaign is a national media outreach effort that provides tips for discussions when older adults and their families get together.
As part of the campaign, the Eldercare Locator and The Conversation Project have created a new guide entitled, Let's Talk: Staring the Conversation about Health, Legal, Financial and End-of-Life Issues, which features information for older adults, family members and professionals who are seeking information about starting difficult conversations with family and friends, topics of consideration for those discussions and what resources can help them.
Click here to order print copies of the guide, or call Jackie at 202-464-9473 with questions.
Click here to access the "Let's Talk" guide.
Click here to access the Eldercare Locator.
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National Committee for the Prevention of Elder Abuse
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Help NCPEA Determine: What Does Polyvictimization Mean?
The National Committee for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (NCPEA) is developing free online training for diverse professionals on how to address Polyvictimization in Later Life. They are seeking feedback from human service professionals on what the concept of polyvictimization means in your work, how it relates to elder abuse, and the scope of polyvictimization in later life.
Supported by the Office for Victims of Crime, U.S. Department of Justice, this collaborative effort incorporates broad input from the field through: Suggestions for literature and practice to be reviewed (Summer 2013); a national forum in October 2013 where 100 practitioners from across the country shared experiences and ideas; and feedback on emerging questions, such as ones presented in their survey entitled,
What is Polyvictimization in Later Life?
Click here to complete the 5-minute survey, and add your voice to NCPEA's study of this concept and emerging area of advocacy.
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National Council on Aging
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New Online Tool Provides Older Adults an EconomicCheckUp®
On December 10, 2013, the National Council on Aging (NCOA) launched a new online tool, EconomicCheckUp® to assist older Americans with budgeting, saving money, employment, and achieving greater financial security.
The tools asks a series of questions to help older adults identify benefits and services that could save money; find ways to cut expenses; better utilize existing assets, such as wages and home equity; and develop a concrete plan to achieve greater economic security. Early tests of the tool in 25 communities helped vulnerable older adults save, on average, $250 in their monthly budget, or $3,000 a year.
Click here to access the EconomicCheckUp® tool.
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Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
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Ten States Receive Grants to Transform Health Care through Nursing
On December 4, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) announced that 10 states will be part of a $4.5 million initiative, the Future of Nursing State Implementation Program. The program is helping states prepare the nursing profession to address our nation's most pressing health care challenges-access, quality, and cost.
The State Implementation Program is providing two-year grants of up to $150,000 to a total of 30 state-based Action Coalitions. States must obtain matching funds to receive the grant. Grants were announced last week in: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Illinois, Minnesota, Nevada, Ohio, South Carolina, Vermont, and Virginia. These states join the 20 states who received State Implementation Program grants in February 2013.
Click here to learn more about this initiative.
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NASI Conference
The National Academy of Social Insurance's 26th annual conference will be held January 29-30, 2014 at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. It goes in depth on "Strengthening the Web of Financial and Retirement Security," including issues such as:
Rethinking the American Social Contract: Building On What Works
- How Can We Pay for What Americans Want?
- Social Security Disability Insurance: The Untold Story
- What Are the Consequences of Medicare Beneficiaries Paying More for Health Care?
- The War on Poverty: A Fresh Perspective
- Breaking Through: Changing the National Conversation
Click here for more event information and to register for the conference.
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AIRS 2014 Conference and Call for Proposals
AIRS 2014 Conference will be held from June 1-4 in Atlanta, GA. AIRS is accepting conference proposals from now through March 1, 2014.
AIRS seeks workshops topics that cover the length and breadth of I&R: aging and disabilities, management, disaster, technology, 2-1-1, resource database, I&R service delivery, serving the military and anything else that can help I&R agencies and their staff continue to meet their ongoing challenges.
Contact Sara Tribe, manager of the AIRS Conference Aging and Disability Track, with questions or to discuss proposal ideas.
Click here for more information on the conference, and to access the proposal application.
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NCIL Announces: Annual Conference on Independent Living, and Call for Proposals
This year's conference will be held July 28-31, 2014, at the Grand Hyatt in downtown Washington, DC. The National Council on Independent Living seeks workshop facilitators for the 2014 Annual Conference on the following themes:
- Enhancing skills and resources for fundraising and development
- New federal, state, and local funding opportunities for CILs and SILCs
- Allowable strategies for resource development at SILCs
- Sustainability through new leadership, including young and minority advocates
NCIL's Annual Conference Committee encourages conference workshops that seek to improve the skills and resources of staff to carry out the four core services of CILs and operate strong SILCs.
Click here to submit a workshop proposal by December 19.
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Demonstration Ombudsman Programs
Full Title: Support for Demonstration Ombudsman Programs Serving Beneficiaries of Financial Alignment Models for Medicare-Medicaid Enrollees
Issuing Agency: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Eligible Applicants: State governments
Funding Level: $3,000,000 to $275,000
Close Date: February 13, 2014, 3:00 p.m. ET
Funding Opportunity Number: CMS-1J1-13-001
CFDA Number: 93.634
Description: This Funding Opportunity will provide financial assistance over a three-year period to States to plan, develop and provide Demonstration Ombudsman Program services to individuals who participate in the Financial Alignment model. In providing an Ombudsman Program, States will ensure that individual beneficiaries have access to person-centered assistance in resolving problems related to the Demonstration. In addition, a Demonstration Ombudsman 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.
Applications must be submitted via Grants.gov.
Click here for more information on this grant opportunity, and to apply.
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Consumer Input for Evidence-Based Healthcare
Full Title: Deliberative Approaches: Patient and Consumer Input for Implementing Evidence-Based Health Care (R21)
Issuing Agency: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Eligible Applicants: State governments; Native American tribal governments and organizations; County governments; City or township governments
Funding Level: $200,000
Close Date: February 7, 2014
Funding Opportunity Number: RFA-HS-14-007
CFDA Number: 93.226
Description: Deliberative methods offer means to gain insight into patient and public views that can inform and improve clinical, program, and policy decisions in health care. The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to use deliberative methods to understand and clarify important public or patient values and concerns that affect the implementation of specific interventions, programs or policies to improve health care or research.
Applications must be submitted via Grants.gov.
Click here for more information on this grant opportunity, and to apply.
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