Registration for the 2016 HCBS Conference is Open!
Join us for the National Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Conference held in Washington, DC, August 29 - September 1. The Conference offers a unique blend of policy, program, and practice issues for professionals interested in home and community based services for individuals of all abilities and in all settings. Quickly becoming the "go-to" conference for learning in the expanding field of HCBS and long-term services and supports, the Conference allows states to share best practices, present unique partnerships, and recognize the work of their peers.
The National HCBS Conference will include federal, state, and local policymakers and those who administer, manage, and deliver waiver and other HCBS programs. The Conference always sees a strong presence from U.S. Health and Human Services ranging from the Administration for Community Living including (AoA, Office of Disability, and AIDD) to CMS, HRSA, SAMHSA, Office of Developmental Disabilities, and other federal agencies.
Click here to view details and register. |
Register Today for the Iowa Conference on Aging & Disabilities!
NASUAD is proud to be sponsoring a National Aging and Disabilities Conference in Des Moines, Iowa, May 23-May 26. This conference will draw speakers from over 30 states. Participants will join us from federal, state government, and local organizations. This is an opportunity to meet service providers, advocacy groups, state staff, managed care organizations, CMS officials, and national association staff to share questions, opportunities, and ideas in thoughtful discussions. Iowa Director of the Iowa Department of Aging, Donna Harvey, presents a list of reasons why should come to the Iowa GCOAD.
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Register for the 2016 AIRS I&R Conference
Registration is open for the 38th annual AIRS I&R Training and Education Conference to be held May 22-25, 2016, in St. Louis, Missouri. The National I&R Support Center welcomes aging and disability I&R/A professionals to join us in St. Louis for the National Aging and Disability Information and Referral Symposium held during the AIRS Conference.
The Symposium offers a pre-conference National I&R/A Summit for aging and disability professionals, an Aging and Disability Luncheon, and a full complement of workshops throughout the conference. This year's pre-conference summit will have a special focus on person centered thinking and practices featuring an interactive presentation from Michael Smull, a national expert on person centered systems and a partner in Support Development Associates (SDA). Symposium workshop sessions will feature national, state, and local professionals presenting on key topics impacting aging and disability I&R/A programs such as quality assurance and customer satisfaction, aging caregivers, innovations in transportation services, transition for youth with disabilities, and resources for serving diverse consumers. For a full list of conference workshops, visit AIRS. |
HCBS Clearinghouse E-Clips
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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.
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Medicaid & CHIP: February 2016 Report
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released their monthly report for February 2016 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.
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Administration for Community Living
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Older Americans Month: Celebrating Trailblazers
May is Older Americans Month, a time the nation takes to honor and celebrate the older individuals in our country. The theme of this year's OAM is "Blaze a Trail." The Administration for Community Living (ACL) is celebrating trailblazers across the nation, older adults, as well as those working with and for them. Americans are leading, supporting, engaging, and trailblazing in countless areas of life, from the creative arts to abuse prevention. ACL wants older adults to send in "Trailblazer selfies" using materials off of their website. This month is used to raise awareness important issues facing older adults and celebrate the work and contributions of older Americans.
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Webinar: Business Acumen Q&A: Where Do I Begin
The Administration for Community Living (ACL), Office of Nutrition and Health Promotion Programs (ONHPP), in collaboration with consultant Tim McNeill, invites you to the Business Acumen webinar entitled, "Where Do I Begin." This question and answer webinar will include examples of the types of services being sold by community based providers, their price ranges, and what community based providers need to have in place to be successful in working with health care providers. Tim McNeill, Independent Health Care Consultant Phantane Sprowls, Program Analyst, ONHPP, will be the webinar presenter and facilitator. The TIM Talks monthly webinar series features discussion of various business acumen related topics in an inviting Q&A format. Feel free to send any specific business acumen related questions in advance to: phantane.sprowls@acl.hhs.gov. You will also have the opportunity to ask any Business Acumen related questions through the chat function and via the phone live, during the webinar. Pre-registration is required for this free webinar. The webinar will take place on Tuesday, May 17, 2016, from 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. ET.
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| Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services |
CMS Releases 2014 Managed Care Enrollment Data On Wednesday, May 4, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Managed Care Enrollment Data from 2014. The annual 2014 Medicaid Managed Care Enrollment Report is created by the Division of Managed Care Plans and the Data and Systems Group in the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services at CMS, with assistance from Mathematica Policy Research. Data on Medicaid enrollment is collected from every state, territory, and the District of Columbia, and is broken down into categories by program, population, and state. The report provides tables with nationwide data and data by state.
Click here to view the publication.
Click here to view the state data.
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Informational Bulletin about Social Security Number Removal InitiativeOn Thursday, May 5, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a bulletin about the Social Security Number Removal Initiative (SSNRI). On April 16, 2015, Congress passed the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) of 2015 (PL 114-10) on April 16, 2015. MACRA included a requirement that Social Security Numbers be removed from Medicare ID cards and instead be replaced with a randomly generated identifier. This requirement was included to minimize the risk of identity theft that Medicare beneficiaries face.
Click here to view the bulletin.
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Webinar: Person-Centered Planning (PCP) Systems Part 2 The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is hosting the second piece of a two-part webinar on person-centered planning (PCP) systems. On May 4, CMS hosted a webinar that provided information on ways states can implement person-centered planning requirements and concepts and provide instructions to the state regarding core principles/strategies that will promote person-centered systems and systemic program development. This second webinar on person-centered planning will explore key elements to approaching the development of robust person-centered planning service delivery from a systems-change framework. Examples of strategies that states are deploying to enhance the quality in person-centered planning practices within HCBS across populations will be highlighted. The presentation will conclude with a reminder of ways Medicaid funding authorities can be leveraged to support state's capacity building activities related to PCP. Invited guest presenters include Dr. Janis Tondora (Program for Recovery and Community Health, Yale Department of Psychiatry) and Laura Nuss, former director of the DC Department of Disability Services. Pre-registration is required for this free webinar. The webinar will take place on Wednesday, May 11, 2016, from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET.
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| American Society on Aging |
Call for Proposals to Present at AiA17
The Call for Proposals to present at the American Society on Aging's 2017 Aging in America Conference (AiA17) is now open! Mark your calendar and plan to join ASA from March 20-24 in Chicago. The focus of AiA17 is innovation, including innovative policies, programs, practices, models, businesses, technologies, learning, and more from across the field of aging. Submit a proposal to share your ideas, research, innovative programs, new models, successful outcomes, and policy agendas with this conference community of nearly 3,000 multidisciplinary professionals who, like you, are working to improve the lives of older adults. The deadline to submit is June 30, 2016. Proposals will be reviewed and accepted in the order in which they were submitted. Symposium and workshop opportunities are limited, so plan to submit your proposal early!
Click here to view details and start a submission.
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| ANCOR and Health Management Associates |
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Webinar: Provider Tax Primer
The American Network of Community Options and Resources (ANCOR) and Health Management Associates (HMA) are hosting a webinar on the Provider Tax Primer. The provider tax is one of the most novel - and misunderstood - strategies used by states to fund their Medicaid programs. It works like this: states tax providers, then use the same funds to reimburse providers for Medicaid services, which in turn allows the state to receive federal matching funds. The implications and regulatory intricacies are significant, including which providers can participate, which programs get funded, and whether the funding mechanism is entirely fair. It has also put certain providers in the awkward position of actually wanting to be taxed. During this webinar, healthcare industry experts from HMA and ANCOR will provide an overview of the provider tax and how it's used by states to help pay for a variety of Medicaid programs, including expansion. This webinar is recommended for executives of community providers of services to individuals with disabilities, health systems, physician practices, FQHCs, SNFs, and other provider organizations; and Medicaid directors and staff. The webinar will take place on Wednesday, May 11, 2016, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. ET.
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| Health Management Associates |
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Webinar: Healthcare Organizational Efficiency and Effectiveness
Health Management Associates (HMA) is hosting a webinar on the two separate frameworks that support common goals for healthcare organizational efficiency and effectiveness. Strategic planning and operations needs assessment go hand-in-hand. That is especially true for healthcare organizations in an emerging world of risk-sharing, population health management, and integrated care. During this webinar, HMA and Day Health Strategies will outline two complementary frameworks designed to help healthcare organizations achieve higher levels of performance by marrying strategic planning with a clear assessment of the operational and information technology (IT) investments needed to achieve long-term goals. The frameworks include tools that help diagnose critical areas of organizational performance which, if improved, can drive significant efficiency gains across your organization. This webinar is recommended for leaders of health systems, integrated delivery systems, accountable care organizations, hospitals, health homes, clinics, and public health agencies. The webinar will take place on Tuesday, May 17, 2016, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. ET.
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| National Association of Medicaid Directors |
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a final rule in April 2016, that implements mental health parity in Medicaid, a requirement of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA). The National Association of Medicaid Directors (NAMD) published a comprehensive summary of the final rule. The requirements apply to the following Medicaid service delivery models:
"Individuals served in Medicaid managed care organizations (MCOs), including when some services are provided through PIHPs, PAHPs, and FFS to MCO enrollees; Medicaid alternative benefit plans (ABPs) in all delivery models; and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) state plan, regardless of delivery model."
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| National Resource Center for Nutrition and Aging |
Building the Business Capacity of Senior Nutrition Programs Learning Collaborative Grants
The National Resource Center for Nutrition and Aging has announced the availability of funding for eight (8) community-based Older Americans Act (OAA) Nutrition Programs interested in strengthening their business capacity. The first Business Acumen Learning Collaborative was announced August 2015.
The Senior Nutrition Program Business Acumen Learning Collaborative is designed to help funded OAA nutrition programs strengthen their business capacity and align service capabilities to prepare to negotiate contracts with healthcare entities, either directly or as a part of a community-based network and to help improve the sustainability of their programs. This initiative provides funding, via eight (8) $10,000 mini-grant awards, and technical assistance, both in-person and through a variety of other learning activities. Eligible applicants are OAA Nutrition Programs that currently receive funding from the Older Americans Act for Title III Part C - Nutrition Services or Title VI Grants for Native Americans to provide meals and other nutrition services to older adults in their community. The applicant organization can be either a public organization or private, non-profit organization. This initiative is funded in part by a cooperative agreement between the US Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services and Meals on Wheels America.
Interested applicants are encouraged to attend the Applicant Informational webinar on Wednesday, May 18, 2016. All requirements stated in the Request for Applications must be met in order for an application to be considered. Applications must be submitted by 5:00 PM ET on Friday, June 3, 2016.
Click here to view the full posting.
Click here to view details and register for the webinar.
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Accelerating the Use of Evidence in Health Care Practice, Policy, and Decision Making
The Mathematica Center on Health Care Effectiveness is sponsoring a policy forum and live webinar on accelerating the use of evidence in health care practice, policy, and decision making. The event will describe the PCORI Dissemination and Implementation Framework and Toolkit and reflect on challenges in accelerating the use of evidence in practice, policy, and decision making. A panel of speakers representing practitioners, policymakers, and patients will respond to the presentation and offer their own perspectives on challenges to accelerating the use of evidence in health care decision making. Speakers for the webinar are: Dominick Esposito, Mathematica; Jessica Heeringa, Mathematica; David Knutson, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; Amy Kratchman, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia; Robert Phillips, American Board of Family Medicine; and Jennifer Reck, National Academy for State Health Policy. Pre-registration is required for this event. The event will take place via live webcast and in person at the Mathematica Office in Washington, DC, on Thursday, May 12, 2016, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET.
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NASHP Seeks Policy Team Project Director
The National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) is seeking an individual to join the Chronic and Vulnerable Populations (CVP) policy team as a Project Director (PD). The Project Director will lead day-to-day operations for at least one major initiative for NASHP, and will join additional project teams as a team member. The primary focus of this work will be on state and federal health policy issues related to major state healthcare delivery system reforms. This includes managing a large federally funded initiative providing technical assistance to states to accelerate new payment and delivery system reforms, including the integration of physical and behavioral health care systems. In addition, the PD will participate in a federally funded evaluation of states' multi-payer delivery system reform efforts. Additional responsibilities will be determined based on the PD's interests and skills. This position can be located in Portland, Maine or Washington, DC. All applications must be submitted by Tuesday, May 31, 2016.
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Disability & Rehabilitation Research Projects Program: Employment of People with Disabilities-Development
The Administration for Community Living released the development grant opportunity for the Disability and Rehabilitation Research Project Program (DRRP): Employment of Individuals with Disabilities. The purpose of NIDILRR's Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects (DRRP) which are funded through the Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program, is to plan and conduct research, demonstration projects, training, and related activities, including international activities, to develop methods, procedures, and rehabilitation technology that maximize the full inclusion and integration into society, employment, independent living, family support, and economic and social self-sufficiency of individuals with disabilities, especially individuals with the most severe disabilities, and to improve the effectiveness of services authorized under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (Rehabilitation Act). Under this particular DRRP priority, applicants must propose a development project that is aimed at improving the employment outcomes of individuals with disabilities. In carrying out a development project under this program, a grantee must use knowledge and understanding gained from research to create materials, devices, systems, or methods beneficial to the target population, including design and development of protypes and processes. Please note that this will be the Funding Opportunity for field-initiated DRRP development projects in the employment domain. NIDILRR plans to make two field-initated DRRP awards in the employment domain. NIDILRR's field-initiated DRRP awards in the employment domain may include research projects, development projects, or both, depending on the ranking of applications provided by the peer review panel. All applications are due by 11:59 p.m. ET on Tuesday, May 24, 2016.
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Rides to Wellness Demonstration & Innovative Coordinated Access Grants
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced the availability of approximately $5.3 million of funding from two programs to support the Rides to Wellness Demonstration and Innovative Coordinated Access and Mobility Grants (R2W Demonstration Grants). The goal of the competitive R2W Demonstration Grants is to find and test promising, replicable public transportation healthcare access solutions that support the following goals: increased access to care, improved health outcomes and reduced healthcare costs. Eligible applicants include: States, Tribes, and designated or direct recipients for funds under 49 U.S.C. 5307, 5310 or 5311. Proposers must serve as the lead agency of a local consortium that includes stakeholders from the transportation, healthcare, human service or other sectors. Members of this consortium are eligible as subrecipients. Further, proposers must demonstrate that the proposed project was planned through an inclusive process with the involvement of the transportation, healthcare and human service industries. Eligible projects must have implementation ready capital and operating projects that enhance access, such as: mobility management; health and transportation provider partnerships; technology; and other actions that drive change. These R2W Demonstration Grants will develop best practice solutions that other communities can replicate. All applications must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday, May 31, 2016.
Click here to view the full posting.
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State Grants to Enhance Adult Protective Services
The Administration for Community Living (ACL) released a grant opportunity for states to enhance Adult Protective Services. This demonstration is designed to provide states funding to strengthen their APS systems statewide, to include improvement in practice, services, and data collection and reporting, as well as their technical ability to interface with ACL's National Adult Maltreatment Reporting System (NAMRS). Eligible applicants are the state government offices that administer the state's adult protective services and/or elder protective services program. Recipients of an award under this program in FY 2015 are NOT eligible to apply for funding under this opportunity. Foreign entities are not eligible to compete for, or receive, awards made under this announcement. All applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 31, 2016.
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