June 6, 2014
In This Issue
*Registration Open for 30th Annual HCBS Conference
*NASUAD Publishes State Medicaid Integration Tracker
*NASUAD Announces Staff Updates
*ACL Announces Funding Opportunity for Supported Decision Making
*ACL: Let's Talk about Elder Abuse Prevention
*ACL: Cast Your Vote for "Suicide Prevention: What is your Role"
*ACL: Webinar: Care and Lifestyle Preferences for People with Dementia
*CMS: April Medicaid Eligibility and Enrollment Report
*CMS: New Data on Chronic Conditions among Medicare Beneficiaries
*CMS: Guidance on Marriage Status and non-MAGI Populations
*CMS: Webinar: Meaningful Consumer Engagement
*CMS: Webinar: Understanding Medicare
*Congress: Senate Confirms Next HHS Secretary
*IL: Illinois Submits Waiver to CMS
*NH: Webinar: New Hampshire Submits Medicaid Waiver Request
*APFM: Consumer State Guide to Assisted Living Records and Reports
*MPR: Forum and Webinar: Measuring Comprehensiveness of Primary Care
*NCVQLTC: Applications Now Available for FREE State-Based Advocacy Skills Trainings
*NCIL: 2014 NCIL Policy Briefing
*UHF: Understanding and Enhancing the Role of Family Caregivers
*Observances
*Friday Updates Archive


Save the Date! 

30th Annual National HCBS Conference

September 15-18, 2014 

nasuadiq
Check out NASUAD iQ!

Like NASUAD on Facebook

Follow NASUAD on LinkedIn

Follow NASUAD on Twitter
From NASUAD  

Registration Open for 30th Annual HCBS Conference

 Registration is open for the 30th Annual National Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Conference from September 15-18, 2014 in Arlington, VA. The conference offers a blend of policy, program and practice issues for professionals interested in home and community-based waivers and services for all ages and abilities.   

 

The conference has a strong presence from the agencies of the US Department of Health and Human Services including Administration for Community Living (ACL) and Administration on Aging (AoA). This year, the National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities (NASUAD) is celebrating 50 years of working with state disability and aging agencies, which will include a gala dinner celebration at the conference.

 

Click here to register for the conference.

NASUAD Publishes Updated State Medicaid Integration Tracker

The National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities (NASUAD) has published the June 2014 Edition of the State Medicaid Integration Tracker, a report which summarizes state actions in managed care for people who receive Medicaid-funded Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS), as well state initiatives relating to services for people who are dually eligible for Medicaid and Medicare. This report is updated each month. 

The State Medicaid Integration Tracker focuses primarily on state actions in managed care for people who receive Medicaid-funded LTSS and on state initiatives relating to services and costs of services for people who are dually eligible for Medicaid and Medicare.

 

Click here to view the entire tracker.

Click here to sign up for alerts on tracker updates. 

NASUAD Announces Staff Updates

Ms. Camille Dobson will be joining NASUAD on July 1 to serve as the Deputy Executive Director. In this position, Ms. Dobson will lead NASUAD's efforts to provide technical assistance to states on the full array of long-term services and supports (LTSS) programs. Ms. Dobson comes to NASUAD from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), where she is currently the Senior Policy Advisor for Medicaid Managed Care in the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services. In this role, she has served as the agency's policy expert on Medicaid managed care delivery system issues, and has directed the agency's regulatory and technical assistance efforts regarding managed care. During her tenure at CMS, Ms. Dobson also led a team of analysts charged with reviewing and approving Medicaid managed care waivers, state plan amendments, and section 1115 demonstrations.

Ms. Nanette Relave will also be joining NASUAD on July 1 to serve as the Director of the National Information and Referral Support Center. Currently, Ms. Relave is the Director of the Center for Workers with Disabilities (CWD) at the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA). Designed to support state efforts to develop or enhance work incentives and strengthen programs serving people with disabilities, the CWD provides a locus for information exchange, policy and program development, and direct technical assistance to and between states. Prior to joining APHSA, Ms. Relave worked at The Finance Project, where she focused on workforce development for low-income individuals, welfare reform, and youth development. She is the author of numerous publications on these issues, and has written extensively on financial programming strategies.  

Click here for more information on these staff updates.
From the Administration
Administration for Community Living

ACL Announces Funding Opportunity for Supported Decision Making 

The Administration for Community Living (ACL) recently announced a Funding Opportunity to create a training and technical assistance/resource center on supported decision making. The Center will collect and disseminate materials on supported decision-making, including the experiences of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) in making informed decisions with the use of supports. The project will also include a proposal to develop measures to compare outcomes for people with I/DD and older Americans who use supported decision-making methods and practices to exert control and choice in their own lives compared with outcomes for individuals under substituted decision-making arrangements. Electronic applications are due July 2, 2014.

 

Click here for more information.

Let's Talk about Elder Abuse Prevention

The U.S. Administration for Community Living (ACL) released a blog post by ACL Administrator and Assistant Secretary of Aging Kathy Greenlee regarding elder abuse prevention. "Over the course of my service as Assistant Secretary for Aging, one imperative has stood above all others: preventing elder abuse. I talk about it every chance I get, and it is something we all need to talk about. Preventing elder abuse must be part of the national conversation about how we care for older Americans. That's why, as our nation prepares to observe World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) on June 15, 2014, I hope you will join me in seeking out opportunities to raise awareness about elder abuse and neglect. Unfortunately, as the world population of older people grows, so does the problem of elder abuse. This is a global health problem and it is a community health issue. It affects people around the world and it affects our neighbors. In fact, research published in the American Journal of Public Health found that one in 10 Americans over the age of 60 had experienced emotional, physical, or sexual abuse-or some form of neglect-in the previous year. This figure does not include financial fraud, a crime to which older Americans are particularly vulnerable."  

 

Click here to view the entire blog post.

Cast Your Vote for "Suicide Prevention: What is your Role"

For the second consecutive year, the Administration for Community Living's (ACL) collaboration with several Health and Human Services (HHS) agencies has led to a finalist submission for the HHS Innovates People's Choice Award. Public votes are needed to decide if "Suicide Prevention: What is your role" will receive the top recognition. "Suicide Prevention: What is your role" combined the reach of the web and the power of community engagement to reduce suicide, the 10th leading cause of death in the nation. 
 
In 2009, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius established HHS Innovates to recognize employees and their achievements in using new concepts to solve important challenges in the workplace.  Last year, ACL received both the Secretary's Innovates Award and the People's Choice Award for its entry "Connecting to Combat Alzheimer's Disease," a project to increase participation in clinical research by leveraging aging and public health networks.   

Click here for more information on HHS Innovates, "Suicide Prevention: What is your role", the other finalists, and to cast your vote. Voting has been extended to next Friday, June 13, 2014.

Webinar: Preferences for Care and Lifestyle as Expressed by People with Dementia

The U.S. Administration for Community Living (ACL) is holding a webinar entitled, Preferences for Care and Lifestyle as Expressed by People with Dementia, on June 12, 2014, 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET. The webinar will provide helpful, current, and applicable information for professionals who work with people with dementia and/or their caregivers. The webinar will also focus on how to identify activity preferences as reported by individuals with Alzheimer's disease and dementia.

 

Click here to register in advance for the webinar.

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

CMS Publishes Medicaid Eligibility and Enrollment Report for April

On June 4, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published the most recent Monthly Medicaid enrollment report, detailing eligibility and enrollment activity through the end of April. Some highlights from the report include:

  • More than 1.1 million additional people were enrolled in April as compared to March in the 48 states that reported both April and March data. (Connecticut, Maine, and North Dakota are not included in this count.)
  • Total enrollment growth from September 2013 to April 2014 exceeded 6 million
  • In states that did not expand Medicaid, enrollment grew by 812,386 individuals - an average of 3.3% across these states
  • These enrollment counts are in addition to the enrollment increases from the nearly 950,000 individuals who gained coverage as a result of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) before open enrollment began.

The Congressional Budget Office revised their Medicaid eligibility projections earlier this year, and presently estimates that an additional 8 million people will have coverage in Medicaid due to the ACA during 2014.  Based on the CMS figures, approximately 7 million additional individuals are in Medicaid as of the end of April due to the ACA.

 

Click here to view the report. 

CMS Releases New Data on Chronic Conditions among Medicare Beneficiaries

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has published new and updated information on chronic conditions among Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries. The data tools include chart-books, maps, and information on prevalence, utilization, and Medicare spending. CMS also created an interactive dashboard that provides customizable information about Medicare beneficiaries with chronic conditions at state, county, and hospital referral region levels for 2012. 
 

Click here to access the data tools.

Click here to view the dashboard.

Guidance on Marriage Status and non-MAGI Populations

On May 30, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a guidance that describes policy for performing eligibility determinations of individuals in same-sex marriages and who do not have their eligibility determined by the new ACA Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) criteria.  Seniors and people with disabilities represent populations also affected by the guidance. This guidance is in response to the Supreme Court ruling  in United States v. Windsor, which struck down the Federal ban on recognition of same-sex marriages. Under the CMS guidance, states may apply their own laws in deciding whether a couple is lawfully married. In other words, states are permitted, but not required, to recognize legal same-sex marriages for Medicaid eligibility.

 

This guidance is largely similar to prior guidance that CMS issued regarding individuals who do have their eligibility determined by MAGI.

 

Click here to view the CMS guidance.

Click here to view the prior guidance on MAGI populations.

Webinar: Meaningful Consumer Engagement: Member Meetings

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is hosting a webinar on June 11, 2014, 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET. This webinar will provide a platform for participants to discuss ways to ensure the voices of older adults, persons with disabilities, and their caregivers are heard in the design, implementation, and oversight of state demonstrations designed to improve and integrate care for Medicare-Medicaid enrollees. The webinar also focuses on how to meaningfully engage consumers using town hall-style Member Meetings.

Click here to register in advance for the webinar.  

Webinar: Understanding Medicare 

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) National Training Program is hosting an Understanding Medicare webinar on June 11, 2014, 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET. This webinar is designed for new partners who counsel people with Medicare, and for partners requiring a refresher. Participants will receive a high-level overview of hospital (Part A) coverage, medical (Part B) coverage, Medicare Advantage plans (Part C), and prescription drug (Part D) coverage. Continuing education units (CEUs) are not offered for this session. 

 

Click here to join the webinar. Pre-registration is not required. For audio link, call 1-877-267-1577, meeting ID 995 177 025

Click here to e-mail the CMS National Training Program if you have special learning needs.

From Congress 

Senate Confirms Burwell as Secretary of Health and Human Services

On June 5, the Senate voted 78-17 to confirm Sylvia Matthews Burwell as the next Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

 

Nominated by President Obama to succeed outgoing HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Burwell is currently Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), a position to which she was unanimously confirmed by the Senate last spring. Prior to joining OMB, Burwell was President of the WalMart foundation. She is also a former President of the Global Development Program at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and held various roles during the Clinton administration, including OMB Deputy Director; Chief of Staff to the Treasury Secretary; and Staff Director of the National Economic Council.

 

Brian Deese, OMB Deputy Director, is expected to be named Acting Director after Burwell leaves and until the Senate confirms a new OMB Director.

From the States

Illinois Submits Waiver to CMS

On June 4, Illinois submitted an 1115 waiver that would enact comprehensive reforms to the Medicaid program. The waiver would impact all Medicaid eligible populations, including seniors and people with disabilities. The waiver proposes significant changes to Medicaid Long Term Services and Supports, including consolidating the nine existing waivers into a single 1115, reducing waiting lists, moving individuals from sheltered workshops into integrated employment, and expanding the availability of behavioral health services. The waiver also proposes to create a fund that would reimburse institutions that reduce capacity or that close, and also to establish an assessment on Home and Community-Based Services providers. Lastly, the waiver suggests that Illinois may examine institutional eligibility criteria to ensure that policies prioritize services in other settings. 

 

Click here to view the full waiver

New Hampshire Submits Medicaid Waiver Request

On May 30, New Hampshire submitted an 1115 waiver request to CMS that would make a number of structural reforms to the Medicaid program in conjunction with the state's ACA expansion. New Hampshire intends to adopt the ACA expansion and cover an estimated 50,000 childless adults through several different mechanisms, including:

  • A mandatory program where Medicaid assists eligible workers access insurance through their employer until 2016;
  • A choice of Qualified Health Plans on the Exchange, or the existing Medicaid MCOs during 2014; and
  • A mandatory program through QHPs on the exchange beginning in 2016.

Under the demonstration, New Hampshire will devote additional resources to behavioral health services, including the development of a new benefit package for substance use disorders. The waiver will also create six "Designated State Health Programs" intended to improve service delivery and health outcomes for the Medicaid population. These programs include:

  • A community reform pool that provides resources to behavioral health providers;
  • Supports the improvement and expansion of community-based behavioral health services;
  • Enhances an existing program for children and youth with serious emotional disturbances;
  • Funds workforce development initiatives for individuals with behavioral health conditions;
  • Extends the existing "InSHAPE" program, a health promotion initiative for individuals with mental illnesses, and incorporates a tobacco cessation intervention; and
  • Creates an oral health pilot program that targets pregnant women and mothers of children under the age of five.

Click here to view the full waiver

From Other Organizations
A Place for Mom 

Consumer State Guide to Assisted Living Records and Reports

A Place for Mom (APFM) recently published research data providing consumers with the most comprehensive information available on the quality and accessibility of assisted living records for every state in the U.S. and the District of Columbia.

 

Assisted living records data for each state was evaluated against more than a dozen criteria, such as the accessibility of data online; the frequency that records were updated; publication of inspection and violation status; and the breadth of information presented for assisted living communities within a state.  The APFM Regulatory Licensing Team assigned a score and ranking for each state based on its adherence to the criteria. The data was mentioned in The New York Times this month.

 

Click here to view the New York Times article. 

Mathematica Policy Research
Forum and Webinar: Measuring Comprehensiveness of Primary Care

The Center on Health Care Effectiveness (CHCE) at 

Mathematica Policy Research is hosting a forum and webinar on June 27, 2014, 11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET to discuss past, present, and potential future efforts to measure comprehensiveness and improve patient-centered primary care. The forum and webinar will cover topics such as:

  • Prior efforts to measure comprehensiveness in primary care
  • Developing measures of comprehensiveness using survey data, claims, and clinical data
  • Challenging to measuring comprehensiveness and directions for future research

Click here to register for the forum and webinar. 

National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care
Applications Now Available for FREE State-Based Advocacy Skills Trainings

As part of their Consumers for Quality Care, No Matter Where Initiative, the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care (Consumer Voice) will be offering FREE state-based, in-person advocacy trainings for groups to make an impact on policy and contribute to the Consumer Voice's national efforts. Participants will include long-term care ombudsman programs, consumer advocacy groups, family/caregiving groups, consumer alliances, and community and senior organizations.

 

The trainings will involve:

  • A pre-training conference call where participants will learn how to strategize around a particular issue. 
  • On-site half-day or full-day training with Consumer Voice staff.

Applications are now available and will be accepted until 5:00 p.m. ET on June 23, 2014

 

Click here to learn more about the trainings and download the application materials.

National Council on Independent Living

2014 NCIL Policy Briefing

The National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) is hosting its 9th Annual Policy Briefing Teleconference on June 12, 2014, 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. ETThe event offers participants the opportunity to join national experts and advocates in a discussion of current national issues and federal policies relevant to people with disabilities and to prepare for potential participation in NCIL's upcoming 2014 Day on the Hill. The event is free for NCIL members; a $25.00 registration fee will be applicable to non-members, per call-in site. Registration must be completed by 12:00 p.m. ET on June 12 to in order to participate. The briefing will also be available via CART (captioned) webcast.

 

Click here to view the event summary and registration.

Click here to contact Tim Fuchs for more information.

United Hospital Fund

United Hospital Fund has developed a tool, Understanding and Enhancing the Role of Family Caregivers in the Re-Engineered Dischargeas part of the Project RED toolkit. Project RED is an intervention that helps hospitals create safe and effective discharges. This new tool formalizes the role family caregivers play in a successful transition from the hospital by building upon their relationship with the patient, and identifying and addressing their needs for training and support. The tool also structures the process of working with family caregivers into five steps:

  • Identifying the family caregiver
  • Assessing the family caregiver's needs
  • Integrating the family caregiver's needs into the after-hospital care plan
  • Sharing family caregiver information with the next setting of care
  • Providing telephone reinforcement of the discharge plan
Observances
Alzheimer's & Brain Awareness Month

June is Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month. Worldwide, there are at least 44 million people living with Alzheimer's disease and other dementia's.This month, there are many ways to help raise awareness and inspire action. These include:

  • Talk about Alzheimer's each time you meet other people 
  • Post, tweet and share the facts about Alzheimer's disease and other dementia's
  • Show your commitment to the cause by wearing purple, the official color of the Alzheimer's movement 

The Alzheimer's Association states that everyone who has a brain is at risk to develop Alzheimer's - but everyone can help to fight it. The goal is for the public to get involved and hopefully end Alzheimer's. 


Click here for more information.

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day - June 15, 2014

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) was launched on June 15, 2006 by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and the World Health Organization at the United Nations. The purpose of WEAAD is to provide an opportunity for communities around the world to promote a better understanding of abuse and neglect of older persons by raising awareness of the cultural, social, economic and demographic processes affecting elder abuse and neglect.

 

WEAAD is also in support of the United Nations International Plan of Action acknowledging the significance of elder abuse as a public health and human rights issue. WEAAD serves as a call-to-action for individuals, organizations, and communities to raise awareness about elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation. The National Center on Elder Abuse joins the Administration for Community Living in inviting the public to take a stand against elder abuse and protect seniors.

 

Click here to find resources, events, and ideas to take action.

Friday Update Archive

 

Did you miss a previous issue?  

Check out past Friday Updates.