March 4, 2016
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Register Today for the Iowa Conference on Aging & Disabilities: Kiss Me I'm IOWAish!  
NASUAD is proud to be sponsoring a National Aging and Disabilities conference in Des Moines, Iowa, May 23-May 26.  Building on our popular HCBS conference in the fall, NASUAD is bringing a mini-HCBS conference to the mid-west. In celebration of St. Patrick's Day this month, we are offering a $50 discount on registration. Use the code: IOWAish  

The jammed packed agenda begins Monday morning with three separate day-long intensives.  You can choose to:
  • Be educated about employment opportunities for seniors and individuals with disabilities;
  • Become informed about efforts to combat elder abuse;
  • Learn about the creative efforts to improve oral health for seniors and individuals with disabilities.
You will be enlightened, inspired, and educated by our plenary thought leaders including:
  • Lt. Governor Kimberly Reynold
  • Mike Nardone, CMS Director of the Disabled and Elderly Health Programs Group (DEHPG)
  • Terry Rich, author of "Dare to Dream:  Dare to Act"
  • Dr. Paul Glassman, visionary leader in teledenistry for underserved populations
State aging and disability directors and their staff, State long term service and supports Medicaid directors and their teams, local aging providers, Area Agencies on Aging, Centers for Independent Living, academics, health care providers, meal providers, and all those who work to serve seniors and individuals with disabilities and their caregivers will all want to be at this national event.  You don't want to miss it! 
 
Click here to learn more and register. Use the code IOWAish for a discount on your registration. 
HCBS Clearinghouse E-Clips
Medicaid & CHIP Application, Eligibility, and Enrollment Data
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released their monthly report for December 2015 on Medicaid and CHIP application, eligibility determination, and enrollment data. States provides data to CMS on factors related to key application, eligibility, and enrollment processes using the Medicaid and CHIP Performance Indicator Project. The data is then used to inform CMS on the operations of the programs in each state and to share state performance data publicly.

Click here to access the publication. 
This section of  Friday Update highlights reports that have been added to the HCBS Clearinghouse within the past week. Visit www.nasuad.org/hcbs for more information.
From the Administration
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services 
Final Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2017 
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published the final Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for the Health Insurance Marketplace during the 2017 coverage year. CMS also released other documents offering guidance to ensure healthy and stable markets that are effective for both consumers and insurers. The finalized provisions in the rule, "help consumers with surprise out-of-network costs at in-network facilities, provide consumers with notifications when a provider network changes, give insurance companies the option to offer plans with standardized cost-sharing structures, provide a rating on HealthCare.gov of each QHP's relative network breadth (for example, "basic," "standard," and "broad") to support more informed consumer decision-making, and improve the risk adjustment formula." The documents below are the fact sheet with details on key provisions of the final rule, a final Letter to Issuers, and a bulletin on the Rate Filing Justifications for the 2016 Filing Year for Single Risk Pool Compliant Coverage. 
  
Click here to view the fact sheet. 
Click here to view the letter to issuers. 
Click here to view the  bulletin. 
Improving Connectivity Among Medicaid Providers
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a new initiative to bring technology that is interoperable between health care providers, including long-term care, behavioral health providers, substance abuse treatment centers, and other providers that have not adopted this new technology as quickly. This information should help "to bridge an information sharing gap in Medicaid by permitting states to request the 90 percent enhanced matching funds from CMS to connect a broader variety of Medicaid providers to a health information exchange than those providers who are eligible for such connections today." This initiative is another move in the direction of creating change to improve the beneficiary experience when moving through the health care system. 
  
Click here to view the blog post. 
From Other Organizations
AARP Public Policy Institute 
DataExplorer: An Interactive Social Security Storybook 
AARP Public Policy Institute created a new interactive storybook that explains what populations depend on Social Security. The tool uses graphics and animation to portray hard statistics in an easily digestible format. Many myths exist about Social Security and the DataExplorer offers a quick look about who the program serves. Additionally, the storybook offers links for viewers to learn more information about Social Security. 

Click here to view the storybook. 
ABLE National Resource Center
ABLE National Resource Center Launches New Website
On March 1, the ABLE National Resource Center launched it's new website. With several state-sponsored ABLE programs preparing to open in the next few months, the ANRC website offers important information targeted toward potential beneficiaries and their families, ABLE program administrators and financial institutions. Information provided on the ANRC website will include: State-by-state ABLE development statuses; side-by-side comparisons of ABLE program characteristics; informational ABLE videos; archived ABLE webinars; published ABLE-related research; summaries of ABLE-related policies, rules, and regulations; frequently asked questions; an online portal to submit ABLE-related questions; and ABLE announcements. 

Click here to view the website. 
American Society on Aging
Registration is Still Open for Aging in America Conference
There is still time to register for the Aging in America Conference! The conference is being held from Sunday, March 20 to Thursday, March 24, 2016, in Washington, DC.  In just a few short weeks professionals from across the country will meet as a community to share ideas and knowledge, learn from the top influencers in aging, gain new perspectives and get reinvigorated to do our best work. Will you be there?

Volunteer 
and attend for half price! In exchange for volunteering for one day during AiA16, volunteers can register for the conference at half the price and full-time students who volunteer can attend the conference at no charge! NASUAD members have an opportunity to save. Use discount code NASUAD75 and save $75 on your registration. 

Click here to view details and register.
John A. Hartford Foundation
Elder Justice Change AGEnts Issue Brief 
The John A. Hartford Foundation recently released a new publication, Elder Justice: A John A. Hartford Foundation Change AGEnts Issue Brief. A startling statistic shows, "that at least 2 million older adults (one in 10 people over the age of 60) is abused or mistreated each year." Additionally, this number of abused elders may be far greater as abuse often goes unreported. Included in the brief are the significant challenges that exist around this issue and the opportunities to create solutions. This brief was generated from two gatherings of elder justice thought leaders aimed to help The John A. Hartford Foundation plan a course of action that builds on the strengths of existing efforts and funded programs. 

Click here to access the publication.
Justice in Aging
Webinar: Medicare for Dually Eligible & Low-Income People Under Age 65 
Justice in Aging and the Center for Medicare Advocacy are hosting a webinar on Medicare for dually eligible and low-income people under age 65. Justice in Aging experts Georgia Burke and Jennifer Goldberg will explore issues relating to those under age 65 who are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid, as well as other services for low-income beneficiaries. The webinar will include an overview of: Programs that help with Medicare premiums and co-insurance; billing protections for people with low incomes; and tips for navigating the intersections of Medicare and Medicaid. Pre-registration is required for this free webinar. The webinar will take place on Thursday, March 17, 2016, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET

Click here to view details and register.
National Council on Aging
Cheat Sheet of the Core Benefits for Low-Income Medicare Beneficiaries  
The National Council on Aging (NCOA) published a cheat sheet with the core benefits that low-income Medicare beneficiaries may be eligible for. The cheat sheets explains how the core benefits are administered and how basic eligibility is determined. Benefits included on the cheat sheet are: Medicare Savings Programs, SNAP, Low Income Home Energy Assistance, and the Part D Low Income Subsidy. 

Click here to view the cheat sheet. 
Events  
ASA's Annual Aging in America Conference
The American Society on Aging's Annual Aging in America Conference will be held from March 20-24, 2016, in Washington, DC. Each year, aging professionals come together to share ideas and knowledge, learn from the experts, gain new perspectives, and get reinvigorated to do great work. The topics covered at the conference reflect the issues that all professionals face today. They are multifaceted and multidisciplinary, and go beyond the boundaries of geography and discipline. ASA will discuss the latest developments in aging in community, integrated care networks, the next 50 years of Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, the economics of aging and longevity, the profound marketplace changes that a dramatically growing older population will inevitably bring, culturally competent services provided in a multicultural context, and much, much more.

Click here to view details and register.
Event & Webinar: Harnessing Evidence to Redesign Primary Care 
The Mathematica Center on Health Care Effectiveness and the Milbank Memorial Fund are hosting a policy forum and live webinar on harnessing evidence to redesign primary care. Practical strategies from the new report for improving the strength of evidence from ongoing evaluations will be presented by expert panelists. Additionally, experts who offer the perspectives of providers and state and federal governments will identify the kind of evidence needed to understand the implications of primary care transformation. Pre-registration is required for this free event. If you need assistance before the forum, please contact Mathematica at [email protected]. They will make every effort to accommodate your participation in this event. Please email any requests for special accommodations by Tuesday, March 22, 2016. The event will take place on Thursday, March 24, 2016, at 3:00 p.m. ET

Click here to view details and register.
Jobs & Internships 
Association for Community Affiliated Health Plans Seeks Program Associate
The Association for Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP) is seeking qualified applicants for the position of program associate. The program associate will be responsible for conducting limited quantitative analysis of Medicaid Managed Care, Medicare, and Marketplace Qualified Health Plan data sources, including presentation of findings in a variety of formats; undertaking research that will be used to develop policy briefs/fact sheets to advance policy priorities and operational support for member plans; overseeing intern projects; supporting the development of and on-site management of ACAP-sponsored conferences; writing meeting minutes for various committee calls, roundtables, and other events; updating and managing the web site in collaboration with other staff; supporting the CEO and Vice Presidents in research and policy development, scheduling, presentations, filing, meeting minutes; researching issues of particular interest to safety net health plans; responding to member inquiries and addressing member concerns; providing roundtable support; maintaining a procedure manual for all position-related duties; and communicating effectively and on a frequent basis with colleagues. Qualified applicants must have a minimum of a Bachelor's degree, some background in statistics or experience with quantitative analysis, and a strong familiarity with Microsoft Excel and Word. Knowledge of Medicaid, Medicare or the Affordable Care Act is preferred. The application period will remain open until the position is filled. 

Click here to view the posting.
ACL Seeks Aging Services Program Specialist
The Administration for Community Living (ACL) is seeking applicants for the position of aging services program specialist, GS-0101-14 in the Office for American Indian, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiian Programs, in the Administration on Aging. This position is dually advertised under both Merit Promotion (open to eligible status candidates) and Competitive Procedures (open to all US Citizens). The aging services program specialist is responsible for educating others about the government to government relationship between Tribes and Federal, State or local agencies or organizations around the areas of Health and Human service delivery programs and laws and regulations as they relate to older Native Americans and their caregivers; providing technical, program and policy input on legislative activities; providing technical, program and policy input for Title VI programs; communicating a broad spectrum of Federal programs and policy positions dealing with or impacting older Native Americans; and representing the agency or organization in meetings or in working relationships with other agencies, organizations, partners, educational institutions, national aging Indian organizations and private organizations. Qualified applicants must have a minimum of a bachelor's degree in behavioral or social science; or related disciplines appropriate to the position; and have one year of specialized experience comparable to GS-13 which is directly related to the work of this position. The application period will close of Monday, March 14, 2016. 

Click here to view the posting.
Amerigroup Seeks Medicaid Employment Outreach Director 
Amerigroup, a member of Anthem, Inc. is seeking qualified applicants for the position of Medicaid employment outreach director.  The Medicaid employment outreach director is responsible for working with management to identify and implement varied projects, programs and plans that support achievement of Medicaid Specialty business unit and enterprise goals. Qualified applicants must have a minimum of a BA/BS degree in related field such as mental health, social services or business; 10 years managing mid to large-scale change/project initiatives including knowledge of planning models and methodology, project management and change management experience (strategic and execution); or any combination of education and experience, which would provide an equivalent background. Masters degree in Social Work, Rehabilitation Counseling, Vocational Rehabilitation or related field preferred. The application period will close on Friday, April 29, 2016

Click here to view the posting.
Amerigroup Seeks LTSS Housing Specialist
Amerigroup, a member of Anthem, Inc. is seeking qualified applicants for the position of LTSS housing specialist. The LTSS housing specialist is responsible for developing and implementing the health plans housing strategy for LTSS programs. This includes the approach to assisting individuals in LTSS programs in securing accessible, affordable housing through Federal and local programs. Qualified applicants must have a minimum of 3 years of experience in developing housing and/or housing policy at a local, State or federal level for special populations such as the elderly, people with disabilities and/or people with mental health challenges to secure accessible, affordable housing through Federal and local programs; and ability to leverage knowledge and experience of affordable housing programs for identified populations at a local, State and federal level to identify and develop housing opportunities, or any combination of education and experience, which would provide an equivalent background. The application period will close on Thursday, March 31, 2016. 

Click here to view the posting.
Nebraska State Unit on Aging Seeks AmeriCorps VISTA Members
The Nebraska State Unit on Aging is seeking qualified applicants for the position of AmeriCorps VISTA. The VISTA is responsible for collecting data, creating volunteer databases/spreadsheets with aging-related data, developing training manuals and materials, creating a standardized Senior Center Operational manual template, and developing means to increase services, funding, and volunteer opportunities across Nebraska. This is an opportunity to make an IMPACT in the lives of aging populations in Nebraska! As a VISTA, connect with services that allow seniors to stay in their own homes and change the lives of minority and impoverished individuals.Qualified applicants should be outgoing, self-motivated individuals interested in laying the ground work for improving nutrition, volunteer, and support services across the state of Nebraska.

Click here to view the posting.
Funding Opportunities 
Inclusive Planning Impact Grant
The Transit Planning for All project has announced the availability of funding for community-cased demonstration programs. The purpose of this funding opportunity is to encourage development of an inclusive coordinated transportation system in which people with disabilities and older adults actively participate in both advisory and decision-making capacities. While the intention is first and foremost the development of inclusionary processes and plans, the secondary expectation is that inclusion will result in identifiable and measurable changes in the transportation system that respond to the needs and preferences of older adults and people with disabilities.

To take advantage of this funding opportunity, communities should download both the request for proposals and the grant application form. All requirements stated in the application form must be met in order for an application to be considered. Applications must be submitted by 11:59 PM ET on Friday, March 18, 2016. 

Click here to view the full posting.
CMS Accountable Health Communities Grant 
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation released a request for proposal (RFP) for an Affordable Care Act (ACA) funding opportunity for Accountable Health Communities (AHC), funding opportunity number CMS-1P1-17-001. The AHC model will test three community-focused interventions of varying intensity and their ability to impact total health care costs and inpatient and outpatient health care utilization. There are different tracks-Increase Awareness, Provide Assistance, and Align Partners-with varying funding amounts available. Each track will run for a five year period. A letter of intent to apply is required and due by Monday, February 8, 2016. An electronic cooperative agreement application is due by 1:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 31, 2016. 

Click here to view the full posting.
Evidence-Based Falls Prevention Programs Financed Solely by 2016 Prevention and Health Funds
The Administration on Aging (AoA) within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) forecasts the possible availability of Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 funds to make two-year grants to approximately 8 entities to bring to scale and sustain evidence-based falls prevention programs that will reduce the number of falls, fear of falling, and fall-related injuries in older adults and older adults with disabilities. Goal 1: Significantly increase the number of older adults and older adults with disabilities at risk of falls who participate in evidence-based community programs to reduce falls and falls risks; and Goal 2: Implement innovative funding arrangements (e.g. contracts with integrated health care systems) to support community-based falls prevention programs beyond the grant period, while embedding the programs into an integrated, sustainable evidence-based prevention program network.

Eligible organizations are as following: 
State governments,
Small businesses, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Individuals, City or township governments,
County governments, Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education,
Private institutions of higher education, Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility". For profit organizations other than small businesses, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, and Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments). All applications are due by 11:59 p.m. ET on Wednesday, April 6, 2016. 

Click here to view the full posting.
Empowering Older Adults and Adults with Disabilities through Chronic Disease Self-Management Education Programs 
The Administration on Aging (AoA) within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) forecasts the possible availability of Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 funds to make two-year grants to approximately 8 entities to bring to scale and sustain evidence-based programs that empower older adults and adults with disabilities to better manage their chronic conditions. Goal 1: Significantly increase the number of older adults and adults with disabilities who participate in evidence-based self-management programs to empower them to better manage their chronic conditions; and Goal 2: Implement innovative funding arrangements (e.g. contracts with integrated health care systems) to support the CDSME programs beyond the grant period, while embedding the programs into an integrated, sustainable evidence-based prevention program network.

Eligible organizations are as following: Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility," Independent school districts, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), for profit organizations other than small businesses, private institutions of higher education, nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, special district governments, city or township governments, state governments, county governments, public and State controlled institutions of higher education, small businesses, and Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized). All applications are due by 11:59 p.m. ET on Wednesday, April 6, 2016. 

Click here to view the full posting.
Supportive Services Demonstration for Elderly Households in HUD-Assisted Multifamily Housing
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced it is making approximately $15 million available to test a promising housing and services model for low-income seniors to age in their own homes and delay or avoid the need for nursing home care.  

HUD's Supportive Services Demonstration for Elderly Households in HUD-Assisted Multifamily Housing will offer three-year grants to eligible owners of HUD-assisted senior housing developments to cover the cost of a full-time Enhanced Service Coordinator and a part-time Wellness Nurse.  The purpose of the Demonstration is to test the effectiveness of this enhanced supportive services model for elderly households and to evaluate the value of enhanced service coordination paired with affordable housing for seniors. The demonstration will be independently evaluated to determine the impact of the enhanced supportive services model on: Aging in place in HUD-assisted senior developments; avoiding early transitions to institutional care, and; preventing unnecessary and often costly health care events-such as some emergency room visits and hospitalizations-for residents in HUD-assisted senior developments. Grant applications must be submitted electronically by Monday, April 18, 2016, at 11:59 p.m. ET

Click here to view the full posting.

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