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NASUAD Announces State Service Resignation
This week, the National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities (NASUAD) announces the resignation of Assistant Director Charles Thompson of Arkansas, as of July 14, 2014. NASUAD wishes Assistant Director Thompson the best in his future endeavors. We thank him for all that he has done for seniors, persons with disabilities and their caregivers at the Arkansas Division of Aging and Adult Services. Please join in wishing Assistant Director Thompson well in his next adventure of service.
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Less Than Two Months Away! Register Now For the 30th Annual HCBS Conference
Don't forget to register for the 30th Annual National Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Conference from September 15-18, 2014 in Arlington, VA. Each year this Conference hits capacity, so reserve your space soon!
This year, NASUAD is celebrating 50 years of working with state aging and disability agencies, which will include a gala dinner celebration at the conference. Dance the night away with friends and colleagues, get your picture taken in our photo booth and help us celebrate 50 years of working to improve the lives of older adults and individuals with disabilities.
Click here to register for the conference.
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| Bureau of Labor Statistics |
The Bureau of Labor Statistics released the Youth Employment Rate Numbers for June 2014. The employment data for youth with and without disabilities is obtained from the Current Population Survey (CPS), a monthly survey of households conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau for the Bureau of Labor Statistics. These numbers provide the most accurate data available of the national employment rate of youth.
Click here to view the June 2014 Youth Employment Statistics.
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| Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services |
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a proposed rule that provides guidance on eligibility redeterminations and renewal of coverage through Health Insurance Marketplaces for plan year 2015. The rule offers two new alternative options for conducting annual redeterminations in Marketplaces. This rule also details the requirements for the content of the renewal or discontinuation notices that health insurance issuers must send to their enrollees before the first day of the open enrollment period. Comments on the proposed rule are due on July 28, 2014.
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May Medicaid & CHIP Eligibility and Enrollment Report
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released the May 2014 monthly report on state Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) eligibility and enrollment data. Across the 49 states (including the District of Columbia) that provided enrollment data for May 2014, states reported that approximately 66 million individuals were enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP - an increase over last month but a slowing rate of growth. This enrollment count includes all enrollees in the Medicaid and CHIP programs who are receiving a comprehensive benefit package. (Maine and North Dakota are not included in this count.) 920,628 additional people were enrolled in May as compared to April in the 48 states that reported both May and April data. (Connecticut, Maine, and North Dakota are not included in this count.)
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Update on CMS Oral Health Initiative and Other Oral Health Related Items
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released an informational bulletin providing an update on the CMS oral health initiative and other oral health related items. The bulletin describes an array of CMS resources available to support states in their efforts to improve the delivery of dental and oral health services in Medicaid and CHIP, discusses how CMS policy supports dental workforce innovations, addresses the use of oral health quality measures to encourage improvement and track progress, and encourages states to adopt the use of three new risk-based dental billing codes to improve care and the use resources.
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Health and Human Services
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HHS Offers $100M to state Medicaid Programs
The Department of Health and Human Resources (HHS) is offering $100M to state Medicaid programs to support improvements to payment systems and patient care provision. This funding is part of the Medicaid Innovation Accelerator Program (IAP), one of CMS's Medicaid innovation efforts by the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS). According to CMS, "states have seen these innovations result in improved care and lowered costs."
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Banner Alzheimer's Institute
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BAI Announces Major Alzheimer's Prevention Study
Banner Alzheimer's Institute (BAI) and Novartis recently announced their partnering to launch a large-scale study aimed at preventing Alzheimer's disease rather than treating its symptoms. The study, which will take place in North America and Europe, will test two drugs in people who are at highest risk for the most common form of Alzheimer's but show no signs of it yet. To date, much of the research has focused with very limited success on slowing or halting the disease's dementia. According to Pierre Tariot, director of the BAI, "This approach shifts the research paradigm from trying to reverse disease damage to attacking and preventing its cause years before symptoms could surface." The study is funded in part by $15 million from BAI and a $33.2 million grant awarded by NIH in 2013.
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Family Caregiver Alliance
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Alzheimer's Disease Caregiver Awards Application
The Family Caregiver Alliance is requesting nonprofit organizations, government agencies and universities to apply for the seventh annual Rosalinde Gilbert Innovations in Alzheimer's Disease Caregiving Legacy Award. Three awards of $20,000 each will be given to organizations to recognize unique programs that address the needs of Alzheimer's caregivers. One award will be granted in each of three categories:
- Creative Expression
- Diverse/Multicultural Communities
- Policy and Advocacy
The deadline for applications is August 22, 2014 and winners will be announced in late November 2014.
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2014 Survey Results of Marketplace Assister Programs
On July 15, 2014, Kaiser Family Foundation released the results of its 2014 survey of marketplace assister programs. The survey is the first of its kind and sheds light on both successes and shortcomings of the 2014 marketplace enrollment assistance efforts. According to the survey, of the 10.6 million individuals who received enrollment assistance from navigators or assisters, nearly all sought assistance for one of three reasons: limited understanding of the ACA, limited understanding of plan choices, and belief of inability to complete the application process without assistance.
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June Policy Update
The LEAD Center recently released the June 2014 Policy Update. The Policy Update includes articles on the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) final rules for statewide marketplaces, new Department of Labor (DOL) grant funding through the Disability Employment Initiative, Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on oversight of Medicaid managed care expenditures, a new Medicaid Buy-in Fact Sheet from the National Disability Navigator Resource Collaborative, and much more. The Policy Update, Employment, Health Care and Disability, is a monthly update focusing on the intersection of disability, employment and health care policy.
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National Academy of Social Insurance
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22nd Annual John Heinz Dissertation Award
The National Academy of Social Insurance (NASI) is currently accepting applications for its 22nd annual John Heinz Dissertation Award for an outstanding dissertation in the field of social insurance. The award is designed to recognize and promote outstanding research by new scholars addressing policy questions related to social insurance. The award includes a $2,500 honorarium and the opportunity to participate in the 27th Annual NASI conference from January 28-29, 2015 in Washington, DC, with expenses paid. The dissertation award will be given to the best doctoral dissertation in the social insurance field completed between January 1, 2013, and September 14, 2014. Dissertation topics should focus on design, planning, implementation, or evaluation of social insurance policy. The award is in honor of the memory of Senator John Heinz.
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The National Academy of Social Insurance (NASI) and Catalyst for Payment Reform (CPR) recently released a report, State Policies on Provider Market Power, that
catalogues the laws and regulations state governments are using to maintain or increase competition in health care markets. The report is a comprehensive evaluation of state laws addressing the power of health care providers to negotiate higher prices. The report reveals a number of common strategies states are using, including laws and regulations pertaining to: antitrust; price and quality transparency; competition in health plan contracting; price regulation; the development of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs); expanding the authority of state Departments of Insurance; and facilitating the entry of new providers into the marketplace.
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National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care
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The Early Bird pricing for the 2014 Consumer Voice Annual Conference ends July 22, 2014. Don't forget to reserve your space soon and save $50. The conference is held from November 15-18, 2014 in Arlington, VA, and will include the best speakers in the field, many opportunities to network with colleagues and time to interact directly with long-term care consumers. Conference attendees will:
- Engage in one-on-one dialogue with consumers of long-term services and supports
- Get the latest policy updates directly from key experts at the federal level
- Learn about best practices nationwide
- Attend skills trainings and acquire tools and resources
Click here for more information.
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National Council on Aging
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The National Council on Aging, the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging, and UnitedHealthcare recently released the results of their 3rd annual United States of Aging Survey examining the perspectives of seniors on aging. The survey results included an oversample of low-income seniors who revealed that despite taking on fewer preparations for the future, many had a more optimistic outlook compared to last year. The survey results also revealed that socially isolated seniors expressed greater concern about finances and the need for support to age in place.
Click here for more information.
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The PEW Charitable Trusts
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Report: Medicaid State Health Care Spending
The Pew Charitable Trusts and the John D. and Catherine
T. MacArthur Foundation released a report that focuses on the impact of Medicaid on the states, including trends in spending and enrollment, and the anticipated effects of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The report is the first in a series, State Health Care Spending Project, which examines seven key areas of state health care spending - Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program, substance abuse treatment, mental health services, prison health care, active state government employee benefits, and retired state government employee benefits. The project will provide a comprehensive examination of each of these health programs that states fund.
Click here to view the report.
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Alzheimer's Association International Conference
The Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC) is the world's largest conference focused on Alzheimer's disease and dementia. Each year, the public health sessions at AAIC offer the opportunity for attendees to learn about the latest research on Alzheimer's disease prevention, risk factors for cognitive decline, epidemiology, and early detection. In July 2015, AAIC will be held in Washington, DC. The conference is a great opportunity for the public health community to learn the latest on the growing public health crisis of Alzheimer's disease.
Click here to stay updated as more information will be announced this Fall.
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National Cancer Institute: Senior Scientist
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) is seeking a Senior Scientist for the NCI Community Oncology Research Program, within the Outcomes Research Branch (ORB), Applied Research Program (ARP). The incumbent will serve the NCI as a scientific leader providing direction and leadership in planning, coordinating, and guiding a program of cancer care delivery research. Candidates for the position should be an experienced scientist (MD or PhD level training required) with leadership experience and advanced training in health services and outcomes research, evaluation of the quality of care delivery, and experience in applying these research methods to the fields of health services, outcomes, economics, and/or quality of care. Expertise and experience is required in the conceptual basis, methodology and application of health outcome measures in the context of clinical trials, observational studies, and in population level surveillance and/or cancer care evaluation. Since the position is with the US government, the applicant is required to be a US citizen.
Click here to submit letters of interest and curriculum vitae to Samantha Williams.
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Freedom2Move Video Series
The Freedom2Move video series is built on concepts that therapists use to customize programs for their clients. The video shows what muscles are targeted (through 3-D anatomical images), and teaches how making those muscles stronger can impact activities of daily living. NASUAD will receive 10% of the video sales using the purchase code NASUAD10. The video will become available to the public on August 11, 2014. Learn more here.
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The Positive Impact of Dogs in Nursing Homes
The Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care released their latest video production showing the positive impact of dogs in nursing homes. Dog bring much joy to staff and residents of nursing homes. Portions of the video were recorded during National Nursing Home Week. Watch the video here.
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