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National I&R Center Webinar: Understanding Medicare
The National Information & Referral Center is hosting a webinar on Understanding Medicare. With Medicare Open Enrollment beginning October 15, now is a key time to enhance or refresh your understanding of key components of the Medicare program. Join this webinar to learn about Medicare eligibility and coverage options as well as educational resources from Medicare Made ClearTM that can assist I&R/A agencies and the consumers they serve. Our guest presenter is Kathy Spenler, Associate Director, Marketing, UnitedHealthcare Medicare & Retirement. Pre-registration is required for this webinar. Space is limited so register today!
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National I&R Center Webinar: Understanding Medicare
The National Information & Referral Center is hosting a webinar on Understanding Medicare. With Medicare Open Enrollment beginning October 15, now is a key time to enhance or refresh your understanding of key components of the Medicare program. Join this webinar to learn about Medicare eligibility and coverage options as well as educational resources from Medicare Made ClearTM that can assist I&R/A agencies and the consumers they serve. Our guest presenter is Kathy Spenler, Associate Director, Marketing, UnitedHealthcare Medicare & Retirement. Pre-registration is required for this webinar. Space is limited so register today!
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2016 HCBS Conference Materials Now Available!
The conference had a a very full agenda with over 100 workshops, a number of compelling plenary sessions, and a very full exhibit hall. We hope everyone found the content, events, and plenaries to be useful and engaging.
Materials from the workshops are now available on the conference website (under the agenda tab) and on the conference app. If you have not shared your presentation with NASUAD staff, please email Linda Nakagawa.
Thank you, again! We look forward to seeing everyone in Baltimore, MD in 2017.
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Martha Roherty Selected to Join the CEAL Board of Directors
In July 2016, the Board of Directors for the Center for Excellence in Assisted Living (CEAL) selected Martha A. Roherty, Executive Director of the National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities (NASUAD), to join its Board. CEAL is a unique collaboration of national provider, consumer, and advocacy organizations committed to enhancing the care provided in these long term care communities.
"I am honored to be selected to serve on the board of such an important organization," said Roherty. "At a time when 10,000 Americans are turning 65 each day, but the funding to support the Older Americans Act is not increasing, our nation needs to focus on innovative, effective, and person-centered ways to serve older adults and individuals with disabilities. CEAL's emphasis on expanding access to assisted living services for those who need it, while simultaneously promoting high-quality, person-centered services is crucial to our nation's ability to support individuals who require these supports." "We are excited to welcome Martha to the CEAL Board of Directors. Her expertise and perspective as a family caregiver will be a valuable addition to CEAL." Lindsay B. Schwartz, Ph.D., CEAL Board Chair Roherty has held leadership positions working for governments and their associations for over three decades.
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Administration for Community Living
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Watch: Person-Centered Planning in Action Workshop
Last month, ACL hosted a staff professional development workshop to learn about an example of a long-term services and supports system embracing person-centered thinking, planning, and practices.
The District of Columbia's No Wrong Door system has incorporated the approach throughout all aspects of home and community-based services for older adults and people with disabilities, including independent living and behavioral health services.
ACL staff heard from former Director of the DC Department of Disability Services Laura Nuss, DC DDS Program Manager Erin Leveton, and Project ACTION! Co-Vice President Steven Powe. ACL's Shawn Terrell and Administration on Disabilities Deputy Commissioner Bob Williams provided opening remarks.
Click here to view the video. |
| Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services |
Public Comment on Medicaid Quality Measures
CMS' Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services and the Medicare-Medicaid Coordination Office is seeking public comment on measure specifications and justification for quality measures currently under development and testing. The measure concepts address the following areas and/or populations:
1. Medicare-Medicaid (dual) beneficiaries and Medicaid beneficiaries using home and community-based services.
2. Medicaid beneficiaries in managed long-term services and supports programs.
3. Medicaid beneficiaries with complex care needs and high costs.
4. Medicaid beneficiaries with substance use disorders.
5. Medicaid beneficiaries and Medicare-Medicaid (dual) beneficiaries with physical-mental health integration needs.
The deadline for submitting public comments on Medicaid quality measures has been extended to Friday, October 7. All comments must be submitted to MedicaidQualMeasures@mathematica-mpr.com .
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MedPAC Sounds the Alarm on Medicare Spending Growth
On September 8-9, 2016, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) met in Washington, DC to discuss Medicare issues and policy questions in order to develop reports and recommendations for Congress. MedPAC discussed Medicare payment policy, outcome measures under a unified post-acute care (PAC) payment system, and health professional services, among other topics. Most of the briefing was to inform the Commission on the work that the staff will being doing this year, and provide the Commission an opportunity to give direction to the staff. The following summaries are highlights from certain sessions at the meeting.
Click here to view all of the MedPAC agenda and presentations. |
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Fact Sheet on Long-Term Effects of TBI
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) have partnered to increase awareness of the needs of people who have experienced moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). They have released a new fact sheet describing the long-term effects of moderate to severe TBI and some actions that can support the proactive management of the condition. While coordinated approaches to acute care and rehabilitation after TBI are available, only a few promote long-term health and well-being, which adds to the long-term financial and health burdens of TBI.
Click here to visit CDC's TBI website to read and download the fact sheet.
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Combating a Global Network of Mass Mailing Fraud Schemes
The Justice Department, in coordination with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and other law enforcement partners, announced wide-ranging enforcement actions - including criminal charges, economic sanctions, seizure of criminal proceeds and civil injunction lawsuits - along with the execution of search warrants to combat a global network of mass mailing fraud schemes that collectively have defrauded millions of elderly and vulnerable victims across the United States out of hundreds of millions of dollars. Simultaneously, a consortium of government agencies and non-profit groups led by the department's Consumer Protection Branch and Elder Justice Initiative announced a public education campaign to heighten public awareness and educate potential victims and their families about these schemes.
The actions are part of a broader effort by the department and its international law enforcement partners to attack fraud schemes targeting older Americans and other vulnerable populations that involve individuals and entities across the globe, including Canada, France, India, the Netherlands, Singapore, Switzerland, Turkey and the United States.
Click here to view the Press Release Click here for the outreach fact sheet Click here for the Department of Justice's Consumer Protection Branch webpage on mass mailing fraud |
| Food and Drug Administration |
Medication and Safety Tips for Older Adults
On September 20th, 2016, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released information regarding safety recommendations for older adults that are taking medications, prescriptions, and supplements. The four key tips include: take medicine as prescribed and include input from your health care provider; keep a medication list; be aware of potential drug interactions and side effects, and; review medications with your health care provider. Additional information can be found here.
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| Office of Disability and Employment Policy |
Advisory Committee on Increasing Competitive Integrated Employment for Individuals with Disabilities Releases Final Report
The Advisory Committee on Increasing Competitive Integrated Employment for Individuals with Disabilities (the Committee) submitted its Final Report to the Secretary of Labor and to Congress on September 15, 2016. The Final Report summarizes the findings, conclusions, and recommendations of the Committee on ways to increase competitive employment opportunities for individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities or other individuals with significant disabilities as well as the use and oversight of the certificate program as carried out under section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938.
Click here to read the Committee's final report. |
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"Potential Changes in Nebraska's Long Term Care" Webinar
On Wednesday, September 28th from 6:30-7:30pm central time, the National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities (NASUAD) will host a webinar titled "Potential Changes in Nebraska's Long Term Care." This online, interactive webinar presentation is on behalf of the state of Nebraska to help facilitate a statewide listening and information gathering tour with stakeholders on its proposed Long Term Care Redesign Project.
The State is inviting feedback from consumers receiving Long Term Services and Supports (LTSS), advocacy organizations, providers, managed care organizations, care coordination agencies, legislators, and any other interested members of the public regarding the redesign of Nebraska's LTSS system. Your questions and suggestions will be welcomed.
To register online for the Webinar: 2. Click "Register" 3. On the registration form, enter your information and then click "Submit". You will be emailed the web link and call-in information for the event once you are registered. |
| AARP Public Policy Institute |
Family Caregiving Blog Post
Family caregiving for older adults must be taken seriously as a critical issue of public policy, says a recent report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Read the new blog from AARP Public Policy Institute's Lynn Friss Feinberg to learn what a transformed system would look like in health care, long-term services and supports, and in today's workplace. Feinberg was a member of the expert consensus committee that authored the report.
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| American Society on Aging |
Webinar: Tapping Into New Payment & Deliver Models
The shift in healthcare to value-based programs and purchasing is creating new incentives for healthcare organizations to pursue and strengthen collaboration with community-based organizations (CBOs). Within this changing environment, accountable care organizations (ACOs) have emerged as a promising delivery and payment model that presents opportunities for CBOs to integrate their services with healthcare, and share in any financial savings. This webinar will highlight a successful CBO-ACO partnership in Maine that resulted in better care, lower costs and opportunities for diversifying the CBO funding stream. The presenters for this webinar are Laurence (Larry) Gross, Executive Director, Southern Maine Agency on Aging, and Elizabeth (Betsy) H. Johnson, President and CEO, MaineHealth Accountable Care Organization. The webinar will take place on Wednesday, September 28, 2016, at 1:00 p.m. ET.
Click here to view details and register.
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| Collaborative on Health Reform and Independent Living |
CHRIL Webinar on ACA Findings
Collaborative on Health Reform and Independent Living (CHRIL), will be hosting a webinar later this month where they will be sharing the early findings from the first year of their research on the Affordable Care Act and people with disabilities. The webinar will be held on Tuesday, September 27 from 3:00-4:30 ET.
To read more about what will be covered in the webinar and for instructions on how to join, click here. |
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Families Caring for an Aging America
With support from 15 sponsors, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine convened an expert committee to examine what is known about the nation's family caregivers of older adults and to recommend policies to address their needs and help to minimize the barriers they encounter in acting on behalf of an older adult. The resulting report, Families Caring for an Aging America, provides an overview of the prevalence and nature of family caregiving of older adults as well as its personal impact on caregivers' health, economic security, and overall well-being. The report also examines the available evidence on the effectiveness of programs and interventions designed to support family caregivers. It concludes with recommendations for developing a national strategy to effectively engage and support them.
Click here for more information. |
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National Task Group on Intellectual Disabilities and Dementia Practices
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NTG Workshops on Dementia and Intellectual Disability
The National Task Group on Intellectual Disabilities and Dementia Practices has partnered with several ACL Alzheimer's Disease Initiative grantees to provide workshops for administrators, clinicians, staff, and caregivers on dementia and intellectual disability. The workshops are scheduled for Wisconsin (October 3-4), New York (October 26-27), and Hawaii (November 14-16). A third day 'train-the-trainer' option is available for staff development personnel. The workshops are designed to encourage local aging and disability agencies to develop and provide dementia-related services for people with Down syndrome and other intellectual disabilities.
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2016 ANCOR Technology Summit & Showcase
The American Network of Community Options and Resources (ANCOR) is hosting the "2016 ANCOR Technology Summit & Showcase." The summit will feature peers, advocates, and experts presenting ways that technology can help the Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) community achieve the triple aim of better health, better care, and lower costs. The event will take place in Broomfield, Colorado on Friday, October 7, 2016.
Click here to register.
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2017 AAPD Summer Internship Program
AAPD has announced the opening of applications for the 2017 Summer Internship Program. The AAPD Summer Internship Program develops the next generation of leaders with disabilities and offers host employers access to a talented, diverse workforce. Each summer, AAPD places college students, graduate students, law students, and recent graduates with all types of disabilities in paid 10-week summer internships in Congressional offices, federal agencies, non-profit, and for-profit organizations in the Washington, DC area.
Each intern is matched with a mentor who will assist them with their career goals. AAPD provides the interns with a stipend, transportation to and from Washington, DC, and fully-accessible housing. All applications must be received by November 7.
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CMS Announces a New Funding Opportunity for Track 1 of the Accountable Health Communities Model
CMS, in January 2016, released a new Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for a model called the Accountable Health Communities (AHC). This Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation model focuses on the health-related social needs of Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. The AHC Model is based on emerging evidence that addressing health-related social needs through enhanced clinical-community linkages can improve health outcomes and reduce costs. The original FOA requested applications for three different scalable tracks featuring interventions of varying intensity that would address health-related social needs for beneficiaries. After receiving inquiries and stakeholder feedback, CMS has decided to make modifications to the Track 1 application requirements and is releasing a new FOA specific to Track 1 of the AHC Model. Track 1 will support bridge organizations to increase a patient's awareness of available community services through screening, information dissemination, and referral. Track 1 award recipients will partner with the state Medicaid agency, community service providers and clinical delivery sites to implement the Model. The modifications to the Track 1 application include the following: (1) Reducing the annual number of beneficiaries applicants are required to screen from 75,000 to 53,000; and (2) Increasing the maximum funding amount per award recipient from $1 million to $1.17 million over 5 years.
Under this announcement, CMS is accepting applications from community-based organizations, health care practices, hospitals and health systems, institutions of higher education, local government entities, tribal organizations, and for-profit and non-for- profit local and national entities with the capacity to develop and maintain relationships with clinical delivery sites and community service providers. All applicants, including those who applied to
Tracks 1, 2 or 3 in the previous FOA, are eligible to apply to this FOA.
Applicants that previously applied to Track 1 of the AHC Model under the original FOA (# CMS-1P1-17-001) must re-apply using this FOA (# CMS-1P1-17-002) to be considered for the Model.
The AHC Model is accepting applications for Track 1 at www.grants.gov through November 3, 2016. For more information about the AHC Model, visit CMS at https://innovation.cms.gov/initiatives/ahcm. A webinar scheduled for Wednesday, September 14, 2016 at 2:00pm EST will provide more information about the Track 1 changes and the AHC Model application process. Click here to register.
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| Paul Marchand Internship Fund |
Paul Marchand Internship Applications Due October 1
The Paul Marchand Internship Fund will provide $3,000 per semester or summer session to assist interns interested in pursuing careers in public policy advocacy for people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (I/DD). For 38 years, Paul Marchand was a dedicated disability policy advocate and recognized leader working on behalf of people I/DD and the larger disability community. Upon his retirement in 2011, The Arc, with substantial contributions from United Cerebral Palsy, other organizations, and individuals with whom Paul worked during his decades in Washington, established an internship to honor Paul and to continue to cultivate disability policy advocates. All applications must be submitted by October 1, 2016.
Click here to view more information.
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