Save the Date!
 30th Annual National HCBS Conference
September 15-18, 2014
Arlington, VA
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Registration Now Open for NASUAD's 2014 Spring Meeting
Registration is now open for NASUAD's 2014 Spring Meeting May 1-2, 2014 at the Sheraton Downtown Hotel, Denver, Colorado. This meeting will bring together state policymakers and those who administer, manage and deliver Older American Act programs, waiver services, and other Home and Community Based Service programs in the states.
Click here register and view the draft agenda for the meeting.
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NASUAD Hosts a Caregiver All-State Call
On January 23, NASUAD held a Caregiver all-state call featuring:
- Elaine Ryan, Vice President of State Advocacy and Strategy at AARP give an overview of AARP's multi-state, multi-year campaign effort including AARP's 2014 State Advocacy Agenda, the resolution and plan to advance in 2014; and the Caregiver Advise, Record and Enable (CARE) Act.
- Susan Reinhard, SVP of Public Policy Institute, provided background on the Home Alone Report and the research supporting the need for the CARE Act.
- Ilene Henshaw, Director of State Health at AARP, provided background on the Caregiving Resolution and introduced brief remarks from AARP state office representatives from Hawaii, Oklahoma and Rhode Island.
- Richard Nix, Executive Vice President of AgingCare.com, reviewed the website during the all-state call. Several states including Rhode Island, Virginia and Tennessee, have used this resource on their state's aging/disability websites. See more on this resource in the "From Other Organizations" section of the Friday Update.
Click here to access the audio recording of the call.
Contact Sara Tribe (stribe@nasuad.org) with questions.
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National Information and Referral Support Center
Webinar: National Disability Navigator Resource Collaborative (NDNRC): Enrolling People with Disabilities in Health Insurance Marketplaces
On February 6, 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET, the National I&R Support Center will host a webinar on the National Disability Navigator Resource Collaborative (NDNRC), a cross-disability resource coalition designed to assist anyone involved in enrolling individuals with disabilities in the healthcare marketplaces and/or other health insurance plans. The webinar will introduce the NDNRC, and highlight resources available throughout the website. Funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the NDNRC provides expertise and assistance to navigators and enrollment specialists on disability information related to enrolling in the correct healthcare plan under the Affordable Care Act.
Presenter Karl Cooper, is a Project Associate at The American Association on Health and Disability (AAHD). AAHD is the implementing organization for the NDNRC and is one of seven national disability organizations that have partnered to form the NDNRC.
Click here to access the visual component of the webinar.
For audio, you must also dial 888-346-3659, Passcode: 382574
Webinar: Immigration and Refugee Resources for Older Adults and People with Disabilities
On February 11, 3:00-4:00 p.m. ET, join the National I&R Support Center, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) of the Department of Homeland Security; and the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) of the Department of Health and Human Services, for a very informative webinar on resources for assisting older/disabled immigrants. The following topics will be covered:
- A brief overview of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), available services and national resources
- Unauthorized Public Immigration Law (UPIL)
- Naturalization, expediting of naturalization application and SSI benefits; Citizenship Resource Center and Local Citizenship info sessions
- Accommodations for in-person office visits
- Fee waiver overview and eligibility requirements
- Overview of medical services available to refugees: Medicaid, Health Insurance Marketplaces, SSI and Older Refugees Grant Program
Presentations will be followed by a question and answer session.
Click here to access the visual component of the webinar.
For audio, you must also dial 888-346-3659, Passcode: 382574
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Administration for Community Living
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Assistant Secretary Greenlee Declares Elder Abuse 'Broad and Widespread'
Statistics show that elder abuse is more common than ever as 10 percent of elderly people suffer from abuse at least once per year. This number does not include financial exploitation, which is an increasingly common form of elder abuse. Kathy Greenlee, Administrator of the Administration for Community Living and U.S. Assistant Secretary for Aging said in an interview with Healthline, a health information destination site, "People think [abuse] is isolated, and only in nursing homes. In fact, it is broad and widespread, and it's often family members."
The article explains that funding remains an obstacle in improving federal programs for the elderly. Currently there is no federal infrastructure established to prevent or prosecute elder abuse.
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Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
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CMS Releases Implementation of
Hospital Presumptive Eligibility (PE)
Resources
CMS released a number of resources designed to assist states in the implementation of hospital Presumptive Eligibility (PE) as authorized by the Affordable Care Act. These new resources include a FAQ on the application process, the eligible populations, information on the qualified entities that can make hospital PE determinations, qualification standards for participating hospitals, and the federal matching funds available.
Click here to view the CMS press release.
Click here to view the new resources and FAQ.
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New Information About the Health Insurance Marketplace and Medicare Released
CMS recently updated its frequently asked questions about the Health Insurance Marketplace to further clarify what it means for people with Medicare coverage. The additional frequently asked questions and answers can assist clients, especially those who may not be eligible for or enrolled yet in Medicare.
The fact sheet also provides information on what the Marketplace means for older adults and people with disabilities.
Click here to download the CMS revised Marketplace Health Insurance fact sheet.
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CMS Study Finds Initial Success with a Number of Reform Initiatives for Health Care Delivery System
CMS released findings on a number of its initiatives to reform the health care delivery system. These include interim financial savings for select Medicare Accountable Care Organization (ACO) initiatives, an in-depth savings analysis for Pioneer ACOs, results from the Physician Group Practice demonstration, and expanded participation in the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement Initiative.
"These innovative programs are showing encouraging initial results, while providing valuable lessons as we strive to improve our nation's health care delivery system," HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said. "[These] findings demonstrate that organizations of various sizes and structures across the country are working with their physicians and engaging with patients to better coordinate and deliver high quality care while reducing expenditure growth."
Click here to view the press release.
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Webinar Series: Training in Disability-Competent Care and Supports
The Medicare-Medicaid Coordination Office is holding a webinar series entitled, Training in Disability-Competent Care and Supports on Tuesdays in February 2014 at 2pm ET. The webinar series will support providers in their many uses of the Disability-Competent Care (DCC) Model, a resource for providers, health plans, and healthcare organizations to enhance capacity to integrate care for adults with disabilities. A few examples of the webinars in the series include:
- Dignity of Risk
- Strategies to Stimulate and Support Participant Engagement
- Mobility and Seating Assessments, and Equipment Procurement
- Using and Maintaining Mobility Equipment
Click here to pre-register for each webinar in the series.
Contact RIC@lewin.com or Kerry.Branick@cms.hhs.gov
if you have questions.
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National Institutes of Health
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The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculosketal and Skin Diseses at the National Institutes for Health (NIH) created the annual A Year of Health: A Guide to a Healthy 2014 for You and Your Family with community input for the following communities:
- African American
- American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian
- Asian American/Pacific Islander
- Hispanic/Latino (bilingual)
Click here for more information on the free planners and placing orders.
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AgingCare.com: Important Resource for Caregiver Support
AgingCare.com helps families face the challenge of providing care for an elderly loved one by providing a comfortable online meeting place where families can connect with knowledgeable professionals, responsive experts, and most importantly, with other caregivers for advice and support. The AgingCare.com agency platform provides agencies with free access to award-winning content by experts in elder care and a highly interactive question and answer forum specifically for caregivers. AgingCare.com reduces the burden on agency staff and budget by providing a wealth of online caregiver resources at no cost. Several states including Rhode Island , Tennessee, and Virginia, have used this resource on their state's aging/disability websites.
Click here for more information on this resource.
Click here to sign up online at no cost.
Contact Richard Nix with questions at (718) 816-4287 or Richard.Nix@AgingCare.com
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American Association on Health and Disability
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AAHD Releases Fact Sheet for the National Disability Navigator Resource Collaborative
The American Association on Health and Disability (AAHD) released the first fact sheet entitled, Comparing Health Plans' Benefits and Coverage Summaries, for the National Disability
Navigator Resource Collaborative (NDNRC). The fact sheet is designed to inform navigators and other enrollment specialists about what people with disabilities need to look for in the Summary of Benefits and Coverage.
The NDNRC is an initiative aimed at providing cross-disability information and support to Navigators and other enrollment specialists. The website recently published the Guide to Disability for Healthcare Insurance Marketplace Navigators which provides information on special considerations people with disabilities face as they shop for healthcare coverage.
Click here to view the entire list of upcoming fact sheets.
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American Society on Aging
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Registration Discount for the 2014 Aging in America Conference
The 2014 Aging in America Conference will be held from March 11-15, 2014 in San Diego, CA. The conference will explore best practices and replicable models for serving an aging population. Free CEUs can be earned while learning from the experts and gaining new insights from this community of engaged professionals.
The American Society of Aging is offering a discount on registration to Friday Update readers. Enter discount code NASUAD10 to save 10% on conference registration.
Click here to register for the Aging in America Conference.
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Employer Assistance and Resource Network
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EARN Releases Fact Sheet on Section 503 and VEVRAA Tools
The Employer Assistance and Resource Network (EARN) released a fact sheet on the changes to the regulations for Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA). The fact sheet helps federal contractors quickly and easily identify valuable resources for updating their recruitment, hiring, and employment practices to comply with the new regulations.
Click here to view the Section 503 information and resources.
Click here to view the VEVRAA information and resources.
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National Council on Aging
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NCOA Releases MIPPA Fact Sheets
Last month Congress passed and President Obama signed legislation that provides an additional $12.5 million in Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA) funding in FY14 to Area Agencies on Aging, SHIPs, and Aging and Disability Resource Centers (as well as the Center for Benefits Access to support them). The legislation also extended the Qualified Individual (QI) program through March. The National Council on Aging (NCOA) has published two fact sheets to help clarify these updates.
Click here to download the "MIPPA at a glance" fact sheet.
Click here to learn more about the current state of QI.
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NCOA's NCBOE: New Name, Same Service
The National Center for Benefits Outreach and Enrollment (NCBOE) has announced they have officially changed its name to the Center for Benefits Access. Nothing else has changed, though. The center is designed to help benefits counselors and their clients with any questions they have about how to identify, apply for, enroll in, and retain the benefits for which they are eligible.
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The Gerontological Society of America
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GSA Journal Article on Building a State Coalition for Nursing Home Excellence
The Gerontologist®, a bimonthly journal of The Gerontological Society of America (GSA), released an article entitled, Building a State Coalition for Nursing Home Excellence. The article describes the successful evolution of a state coalition for nursing home excellence that brought together organizations that had once worked in silos to improve the quality of care through the implementation of culture change for Arkansas' 240 nursing homes with 27,700 residents.
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AHIP 2014 National Health Policy Conference: ACA and the Year Ahead
The America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) 2014 National Health Policy Conference will be held from March 5-6, 2014 in Washington, DC. The conference will feature key Administration officials, Members of Congress, governors, and the foremost health care thought leaders and health insurance industry professionals who will provide high-level insight, analyses and policy recommendations on health care issues and trends. A few examples of sessions include:
- Health Insurance Plans in the Evolving Marketplace
- Partnering with Providers to Reward Quality
- The ACA' s Unintended Consequences for Medicare
- The ACA's Impact on the 3Ps: Premiums, Provider Networks and Provider Consolidation
- Simplifying the Complex: Educating and Engaging Consumers
A few examples of key speakers include:
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Avik Roy, Senior Fellow, Manhattan Institute of Policy Research
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Jonathan Cohn, Senior Editor, The New Republic
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Andrew Dreyfus, President and Chief Executive Officer, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
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Douglas Holtz-Eakin, President, American Action Forum
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Mark E. Miller, Executive Director, MedPAC
Click here for more information and to register for the conference.
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LeadingAge 2014 PEAK Leadership Summit
The PEAK Leadership Summit will be held from March 17-19 in Washington, DC. The Summit will bring together the best leaders in aging services to support innovation, embrace new opportunities and improve the present state of aging services. A few examples of PEAK's programing around Leadership and Innovation include:
- Leadership Workshop
Author Charles Duhigg will delve into why those who learn to let go of rigid routines and make subtle shifts to induce new habits will find themselves increasingly nimble and open to change. - Cultures of Innovation
Members of the Innovations Cabinet will explore effective ways for creating organizational cultures that foster innovation, thoughtful experimentation and adoption of new programs and services. - Leading Your Organization through Disruptive Innovation
Strategic leaders in aging services will share their experiences about creating 21st century strategic plans to move their organization's into the future. - Leading Change with Enthusiasm
Leaders will learn how to harness the enthusiasm of team members to inspire innovation throughout their organization.
Click here to register and view the Summit website.
Click here to download the brochure.
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Transportation of Veterans in Highly Rural Areas Grant
Full Title: Transportation of Veterans in Highly Rural Areas
Issuing Agency: U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs
Eligible Applicants: Veteran Service Organizations and State Veteran Service Agencies
Funding Level: $3,000,000
Close Date: March 3, 2014
Funding Opportunity Number: VA-HRTG-2-2014
CFDA Number: 64.035
Description: This funding opportunity will allow aging, disability, and transportation providers to partner with veteran service organizations or state veteran service agencies to serve this important population. "Highly rural" is defined by the population density in a county of less than seven persons per square mile. Twenty-five states have counties with highly rural areas.
Click here for more information on this grant opportunity, and to apply.
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Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling Grant
Full Title: Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling Grant
Issuing Agency: The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS)
Eligible Applicants: States and public or nonprofit agencies and organizations, including Indian tribes and institutions of higher education.
Funding Level: $9,166,902
Differentiate between total and individual grant amount
Close Date: February 4, 2014
Funding Opportunity Number: ED-GRANTS-110513-001
CFDA Number: 84.129
Description: The purpose of the OSERS Rehabilitation Long-Term Training program is to increase and improve projects that provide training leading to degrees or certification in areas where there is a shortage of personnel in rehabilitation. The goal of this funding opportunity is to provides financial assistance for (1) Projects that provide basic or advanced training leading to an academic degree in areas of personnel shortages in rehabilitation as identified by the Secretary; (2) Projects that provide a specified series of courses or program of study leading to the award of a certificate in areas of personnel shortages in rehabilitation as identified by the Secretary; and (3) Projects that provide support for medical residents enrolled in residency training programs in the specialty of physical medicine and rehabilitation.
Click here for more information on this grant opportunity, and to apply.
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