NASUAD Publishes Updated State Medicaid Integration Tracker
The National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities (NASUAD) has published the July 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.
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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.
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National Information and Referral Support Center
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Webinar: Medicare Savings Options for Low-Income Beneficiaries
On July 17, 2014, 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET, join the National Information & Referral Support Center for a webinar on Medicare savings options for low-income beneficiaries - available programs and referral resources. This webinar will focus on available options to help low-income Medicare beneficiaries better afford their Medicare costs. The webinar will explore the four Medicare Savings Programs and the Medicare Part D Extra Help/Low Income Subsidy Program, highlighting potential qualifiers and referral resources. Presenters will also discuss federal funding efforts to educate low-income beneficiaries, including older adults and people with disabilities, about enrolling in these savings programs.
Click here to join the visual component of the webinar. For audio, dial 888-346-3659, Passcode: 33688
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Administration for Community Living |
2014 Webinar Series on Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias
The Administration for Community Living (ACL), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the National Institute on Aging (NIA) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have collaborated to host a webinar series to increase knowledge about Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. The webinar series will also expand resources that professionals in the public health, aging services and research networks can use to inform, educate and empower community members, people with dementia and their family caregivers. Each webinar is from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET and CEUs are available. The schedule is as follows:
- Webinar 1: Updates on Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias Resources
July 22, 2014 - Webinar 2: Community Collaborations for Assisting People with Alzheimer's and Dementias: The Steps to Success
August 28, 2014 - Webinar 3: Alzheimer's Research Updates
September 25, 2014
Click here for more information on the webinar series.
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ACL Releases Guidance on Person Centered Planning and Self-Direction
On July 10, 2014, the Administration for Community Living (ACL) released guidance outlining standards for person centered planning and self-direction. ACL indicates that these principles will be embedded into all HHS-funded HCBS, and presumably be used within other non-HHS HCBS and LTSS programs. The release indicates that all HHS entities that provide funding for HCBS are expected to incorporate the paper's principles within their regulations, guidance, and/or the technical assistance they provide to states.
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Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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CMS Provides Clarification on Services for Children with Autism
On July 7, 2014, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released an information bulletin outlining options for Medicaid to provide children with coverage of autism-related services. The bulletin discusses the opportunities and associated requirements for covering services under a variety of authorities, including Medicaid state plan services, 1915(i) state plan HCBS, 1915(c) waiver services, and 1115 demonstration waivers. The bulletin also provides clarification on the Medicaid EPSDT mandate and its interaction with services for children with autism.
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CMS Offers Self-Direction Program Options for FLSA Regulation Changes
On July 3, 2014, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released an informational bulletin summarizing options for Medicaid payments in the execution of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) Regulation Changes. The bulletin is planned to assist states in understanding Medicaid reimbursement options that will enable states to account for the cost of overtime and travel time. These costs may be compensated as a result of the changes to the Department of Labor's regulations regarding domestic service employment under the FLSA.
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Health and Human Services
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Elder Justive Roadmap Released
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) recently released the Elder Justice Roadmap. HHS and DOJ sponsored an effort to gather input from public and private entities, experts from across the United States, and many people who address elder abuse and have a role to play in detecting and preventing it. The Elder Justice Roadmap is the culmination of this effort and provides a detailed, practical guide for teams, communities, states and national entities to engage in strategic planning. The Roadmap highlights five priorities and provides actionable items under each category.
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Health Care Innovation Awards
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently announced new prospective awardees to test innovative care models. The awards bring the total amount of HHS funding to as much as $360 million for 39 recipients covering 27 states and the District of Columbia. These models are designed to deliver better health care and lower costs under the Health Care Innovation Awards program. According to HHS Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell, "The Health Care Innovation Awards support our ongoing work to drive down health care costs while providing high quality care to CMS beneficiaries. These awards advance innovative solutions in delivering and improving care from all across our nation."
Click here to view the news release.
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United States Census Bureau
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Amount of People Residing in Poverty Areas Increases
The U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey Data states that one in four U.S. residents lived in poverty areas from 2008 to 2012. These numbers were one in five residents in 2000. A poverty area refers to a census tract with a poverty rate of 20% or more. In 2000, the number of people living in poverty areas was 49.5 million (18 %) and that number has drastically increased to 77.4 million (25.7%) in 2008-2012. The five-year estimates by the 2012 American Community Survey shows a U.S poverty rate of 14.9 percent. The American Community Survey Report, Changes in Areas with Concentrated Poverty: 2000 to 2010, takes data from the previous Census and American Community Survey to analyze changes in the spatial distribution and socio-economic characteristics of people living in poverty areas.
Click here for more information.
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Novel Analysis on the Current State of the Nation's 65-and-Older Population
The U.S. Census Bureau released a new report to provide the latest, comprehensive look at the U.S. population of people aged 65 and older, comprising 40.3 million in 2010. The report includes research and findings from several recent studies that utilize the 2010 Census and nationally representative surveys like the Current Population Survey, American Community Survey and National Health Interview Survey.
Click here for more information.
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Congress Approves Deal to Modernize, Reauthorize Federal Workforce Programs
Last month, the Senate voted to reauthorize and update the long-expired Workforce Investment Act (WIA, P.L. 105-220) by an incredible margin, 95-3. Yesterday, the House overwhelmingly adopted the Senate-passed bill by a vote of 415-6. The renamed Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) represents a compromise between the SKILLS Act (H.R. 803), which passed the House of Representatives in March 2013, and the Workforce Investment Act of 2013 (S. 1356), which passed the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee last July. Leaders from the House and Senate unveiled the much-anticipated bipartisan, bicameral agreement in May, and President Obama is expected to sign the legislation in the coming days.
WIOA eliminates 15 current workforce programs, sets authorized funding levels for WIA formula grant programs, maintains the 15 percent set-aside for governors to address state-determined workforce needs, and includes several other provisions that guide state workforce boards and programs. In addition, WIOA includes the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (P.L. 93-112), and makes amendments to its programs that include transferring Independent Living Programs to the Administration for Community Living (ACL) and adding transition as a fifth core service.
Click here to view the full bill text.
Click here to view the one-page summary.
Click here to view the Manager's Statement, which includes a section-by-section summary.
Click here to view a summary of key improvements WIOA makes to current workforce development programs.
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American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
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Webinar: Improving Transportation Access to Support the Transition of Students with ID & DD
The American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities is holding a webinar on July, 22, 2014, 2:00 p.m. ET. The webinar will focus on multiple strategies to improve transportation access to support the transition of students with intellectual disabilities (ID) and developmental disabilities (DD). Participants will:
- Acquire practical strategies to integrate transportation content in instruction;
- Identify opportunities to connect with community transportation professionals to build transportation supports; and
- Learn about what schools and communities are doing to ensure that students with ID/DD have access to transportation to facilitate their participation in jobs, college, and community living.
Click here to register for the webinar.
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Institute on Disability at University of New Hampshire
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The Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire is seeking adults with disabilities to answer a brief health survey. The goal of the Health Disparities Project is to generate new knowledge about health access and health outcomes among sub-groups of people with disabilities and translate and disseminate the findings for researchers, policy makers, and others. This Fall, the project will release its major findings in Washington, DC, at the annual Research-to-Policy Roundtable meeting sponsored by the Disability Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Disability Statistics and Demographics (StatsRRTC). Please complete the survey by July 25, 2014.
Click here to access the link to the survey.
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National Association for Continence
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NAFC Expands Bowel Health Resource Section
The National Association for Continence (NAFC) has updated and expanded the bowel health resource section of their website to include information about accidental bowel leakage (ABL). ABL is a condition that affects millions of people - nearly 1 in 5 people over the age of 40 experience ABL. This newly enhanced section includes materials and resources related to the symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and management of bowel control problems.
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National Association of State Budget Officers |
NASBO Releases Report on Using Performance Data in State Budgeting
The National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO) released a new report entitled, Investing in Results: Using Performance Data to Inform State Budgeting. The report highlights some key themes and lessons learned related to using performance information in state budgeting, planning and program management. The report also includes a set of key terms and definitions, an appendix with eight case study profiles, and several sidebars on other topics related to the growing use of data to drive public decision-making. This report is part of NASBO's ongoing efforts to examine the use of performance data in the public sector.
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National Association of State Head Injury Administrators
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Webinar: Pooling Resources for TBI Services
The National Association of State Head Injury Administrators (NASHIA) is holding a webinar on July 16, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. ET. This webinar will focus on how states may pool public and private resources to ensure that individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) have a comprehensive array of supports to reintegrate into the community and to live as independently as possible.
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National Senior Citizens Law Center
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Blog Post: Action Needed Now to End Elder Abuse Among the Poor
In a July 2014 Huffington Post blog, Executive Director Kevin Prindiville of National Senior Citizens Law Center writes about the recent funding approval for the Elder Justice Initiative by Labor/HHS Subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee. The $10 million funding was the first funding for the Elder Justice initiative. Prindiville called on Congress to take real action to protect the nation's elders in 2014. He states, "The Elder Justice Act took eight years for Congress to enact, and in 2010, it did. However, funding for the law has been slow in coming."
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Southeastern Area Agency on Aging Conference
The Florida Area Agencies on Aging in affiliation with the Florida Department of Elder Affairs is hosting the 2014 Southeastern Association of Area Agencies on Aging (SE4A) Annual Training Conference. The theme is Embracing Aging - Oceans of Opportunities. The 2014 SE4A Conference will be held from September 21-24, 2014 at the Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort in Amelia Island, Florida. The conference will offer participants essential aging updates,
training and networking opportunities.
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Affordable Care Act New Access Point Grant
Full Title: Health Center New Access Point Funding
Issuing Agency: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
Eligible Applicants: public or nonprofit private entities, including tribal, faith-based, and community-based organizations.
Funding Level: $100,000,000
Close Date: August 20, 2014
Funding Opportunity Number: HRSA-15-016
CFDA Number: 93.527
Description: The purpose of the Health Center Program New Access Point (NAP) funding opportunity is to improve the health of the Nation's underserved communities and vulnerable populations by increasing access to comprehensive, culturally competent, quality primary health care services. NAP funding provides operational support for new primary health care service delivery sites.
Click here for more information on this grant opportunity, and to apply.
An applicant technical assistance call will be held on July 17, 2014, 1:30 p.m. ET. The call in number is: 1-888-795-3252; Passcode: 2066988.
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