News on transforming care for older adults
Health care stakeholders are changing how they operate to confront coronavirus (COVID-19). As new policies emerge, the Better Care Playbook has created a resource center to curate federal guidance aimed at addressing COVID-19 for people with complex care needs.
Also, ATI Advisory created a helpful slide deck to describe recent federal and state policy action.
The Aging and Disability Business Institute annual survey unpacks how community-based organizations (CBOs) are adapting and expanding services to meet the health-related, social needs of older adults and people with disabilities.
Today at 10 am, PT, tune into AARP’s Coronavirus Tele-Town Hall on caring for family, friends, and neighbors during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. They’ll talk about creating a care plan, coordinating backup care, staying connected to isolated loved ones, and accessing local resources.
In addition, check out the following:
A spring report from the California Department of Aging highlights progress and learnings from Together We ENGAGE.
Every three years, based on results of the AARP Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) State Scorecard, we honor states making significant progress in improving LTSS for older adults, people with disabilities, and family caregivers.
In 2017, Wisconsin was awarded the Pacesetter Prize for Choice of Setting and Provider. The state exhibited more progress in this domain than any other state, moving up from No. 8 in the 2011 Scorecard to No. 6. The next Pacesetter Prize recipients will be announced in summer 2020.
Learn about a Northern California model’s three-pronged approach to help long-term care residents return to the community.
New federal opportunities are prompting states to develop or enhance integrated care programs for individuals dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid. In this new brief from the Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS), early adopters of these care models share insights on the factors that drove their investment and led to successful implementation.
Dr. Chernof and the Administration for Community Living’s Lance Robertson published a Health Affairs blog on addressing social determinants of health through partnerships between health care and community-based organizations (CBOs).
The Long-Term Quality Alliance (LTQA), in collaboration with ATI Advisory (formerly Anne Tumlinson Innovations), recently held a public briefing on implementing Medicare Advantage, non-medical flexibilities made possible through the CHRONIC Care Act. A recording of the event and related materials are now available.
Every three years, based on results of the AARP Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) State Scorecard, we honor states making significant progress in improving LTSS for older adults, people with disabilities, and family caregivers.
In 2017, Vermont was awarded the Pacesetter Prize for Affordability and Access. The state moved up from No. 19 in the 2011 Scorecard to No. 3, exhibiting more improvement than any other state. The next Pacesetter Prize recipients will be announced in summer 2020.
The state’s website encourages Californians to share their vision for the Master Plan for Aging, as well as keep up to date on its progress. Learn more about TSF’s Master Plan initiative.
How can services that address social needs be integrated into clinical care? A new report from the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine identifies current approaches and recommendations to expand social care in health care delivery. Read the related blog post.
A TSF-authored AARP blog post discusses how the California Master Plan should engage public and private sectors in systems-based solutions that touch all aspects of life experience (e.g., health, human services, housing, and transportation, among others).
Here are TSF’s top three most accessed publications last year:
On Tuesday, January 7, the Long-Term Quality Alliance (LTQA) – in collaboration with Anne Tumlinson Innovations (ATI) and with support from TSF – will hold a public briefing on Medicare Advantage and the CHRONIC Care Act. We invite anyone interested in Medicare Advantage supplemental benefits to hear from Senator Mark Warner and a policy panel of expert stakeholders. Register today!
We honor caregivers of all generations, particularly younger adults who have unique needs and experiences. Check out this Vox video and story on how millennial caregivers can be recognized, get informed, and feel supported.
Medicare Advantage plans now have the flexibility to offer special non-medical benefits for members with complex care needs. Read guiding principles on how these benefits can best support consumers and be sustainable. Also, hear from the National MLTSS (Managed Long-Term Services and Supports) Health Plan Association, one group who helped to develop these principles.
A report from the Bipartisan Policy Center shared recommendations on ways to expand Medicare benefits for those with complex care needs.
The National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) recently highlighted the Medicare-Medicaid integration efforts of leading states.
A related toolkit from Center for Health Care Strategies, Inc., shares strategies states can implement when reforming their Medicaid long-term services and supports.
Most Americans want to age in place in their homes and community and are largely supported by family, friends, and neighbors. Learn what Minnesota is doing to ensure their publicly funded long-term services and supports (LTSS) also support older adults’ needs and preferences.
As part of our Cal MediConnect evaluation, the latest University of California slide deck unpacks the effects of home- and community-based services (HCBS) for California dual eligibles.
Improving health means addressing upstream social factors, like access to stable housing. Read the latest report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM).
Californians with Medicare and Medi-Cal have many choices to get the health coverage they need, but it varies by county. This policy brief outlines available choices across the state, and describes the My Care, My Choice web resource.
Millions of older adults have chronic conditions and daily living needs. Starting in 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services allows Medicare Advantage (MA) health plans unprecedented flexibility to offer special supplemental benefits for chronically ill (SSBCI) enrollees.
Anne Tumlinson Innovations and the Long-Term Quality Alliance, with funding from TSF, gathered 30 industry leaders to develop guiding principles on how these benefits can best meet consumer needs and be sustainable.
Today, the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) released a report with recommendations on ways to expand supplemental benefits in Medicare, such as home-delivered meals, for those with complex care needs. Check out the Associated Press article.
A recent analysis outlines opportunities to serve complex care populations in Medicare Advantage plans. Also, see our 2018 policy brief on how the CHRONIC Care Act is a key step toward advancing person-centered care.
Read a Better Care Playbook blog post from Anne Tumlinson on the importance for health plans to cover non-medical services and coordinate resources to help individuals and families manage their care.
Reflecting on our 10th anniversary, Driving Change: The SCAN Foundation’s First 10 Years highlights successes during our first decade and recommits to transforming care for older adults, now and for the future.
Transportation can be a major obstacle for those who want to age in place, but do not drive. This AARP report, part of the 2017 Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) State Scorecard, details the value of and access to mobility managers.
New research from Health Affairs finds that more than 14 million older adults will lack the financial resources to afford housing and daily living needs.
Review supporting materials, and check out the webcast from this morning’s forum.
The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) published a new report with considerations for governors and state leaders as they design and implement strategies to meet the long-term care needs of older adults and people with disabilities.
The Handbook of Geriatric Assessment, Fifth Edition, is a multidisciplinary text that takes a contemporary approach in line with person- and family-centered care.
Authored by Drs. Terry Fulmer, president of The John A. Hartford Foundation (JAHF), and Bruce Chernof, president and CEO of The SCAN Foundation, and with contributions from other foremost experts in the field, it contains the latest information on geriatric assessment for older adults.
Completely updated and revised, the Fifth Edition includes several new chapters, including demographic trends, age-friendly health systems, payment reform and impact, the Veterans Affairs health system, self-care and management, impact on familial relations, vulnerable populations, building geriatric interdisciplinary teams, advance care planning, caregiver information, spiritual assessment, older adult hunger, and transitions of care.
States have significant flexibility to transform their Medicaid long-term services and supports (LTSS) programs in ways that advance care quality and manage costs. This toolkit from the Center for Health Care Strategies and Manatt Health shares proven, replicable strategies for states to improve person-centered, community-based options. It identifies concrete policy strategies, operational steps, and federal and state authorities that states have used to advance their LTSS reforms. The toolkit, developed with support from The SCAN Foundation and the Milbank Memorial Fund, also highlights opportunities and challenges that states faced in designing and implementing reforms.
“Great struggles sometimes result in unexpected opportunities. In the waning moments of 2012, Congress remained in session to bridge partisan divides to solve the fiscal cliff impasse with the passage of the American Taxpayer Relief Act (ATRA).
Signing the ATRA into law also achieved policy change on items far beyond the tax code. For example, the new law repealed the Community Living Assistance Services and Support (CLASS) provision in the Affordable Care Act.” Read on…
