The Buzz

Read recent articles highlighting thoughts from our new President and CEO, Dr. Sarita Mohanty, and TSF grantee work:

• The New York Times spoke with Dr. Mohanty on how COVID-19 made many families and older adults reconsider nursing home care.
• In an op-ed for The Hill, Dr. Mohanty shares why investing in a Master Plan for Aging and person-centered care models is essential.
• The Sacramento Bee article describes how the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) helps older adults age well in community during COVID-19 (via UC Berkeley Investigative Reporting Program).
• The Associated Press reported that Americans believe government should help adults age at home, according to a new Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll.

Register for the Better Care Playbook webinar on May 17 featuring promising strategies for identifying unique subpopulations with complex health and social needs to better tailor health care interventions.

Register Here

Read two recent articles highlighting TSF-supported work.

• The New York Times describes re-thinking care beyond nursing homes, and how states are responding through a Master Plan for Aging.
• The Conversation/Yahoo News discusses racial and other disparities when addressing care preferences of older people, and how health systems can become more person-centered.

The 2021 ASA Managed Care Summit at On Aging 2021 this Friday will unpack health inequities illuminated during COVID-19, and share ways community-based organization (CBO)/health system partnerships can help heal our communities.

To better serve people living with complex care needs, a recent report from by the Camden Coalition’s National Center for Complex Health and Social Needs outlines core competencies for providers in this field.

• Attend a webinar hosted by Grantmakers in Aging and Grantmakers in Health to learn more about the Core Competencies for Frontline Complex Care Providers.
• Funders can also check out Creating New Connections: How Philanthropy Can Support Better Care for People with Complex Health and Social Needs for insights on key issues and ways to deepen their work.

Read a new brief from Resources for Integrated Care on key considerations for effective partnerships between health plans and community-based organizations (CBOs) to meet members’ needs, such as meal delivery, social engagement activities, and transportation.

• Learn about the growth of cross-sector partnerships in a recent blog post from the Better Care Playbook.

Read a new Playbook blog where Marc Cohen and Ann Hwang, MD discuss new research showing racial disparities in accounting for the preferences of older people, and how health systems can become more person-centered.

Nearly 250 federal regulatory changes have occurred in response to COVID-19, and will likely continue in the near future. Read Health Management Associates’ new analysis and blog on updates to Medicare regulatory flexibilities since July 2020 (co-funded with The Commonwealth Fund).

Learn about the Community Care Connections program that helps older adults with complex needs navigate medical and social services, and shows promise on reducing acute care utilization.

Governor Gavin Newsom released his 2021-22 proposed budget on January 8. Read our fact sheet to learn how the budget connects to California’s Master Plan for Aging.

According to new research from the LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston, one-third of older adults report that their care preferences were rarely or only sometimes taken into account, with large variations by race, income, and other factors. Learn more!

The California Advocacy Network is a statewide movement involving nearly 1,000 organizations who serve more than 95 percent of California’s population. Explore our map, and learn more about the Network’s goals through 2021.

The California Advocacy Network is a statewide movement involving nearly 1,000 organizations who serve more than 95 percent of California’s population. Explore our new map, and learn more about the Network members’ goals for 2020-21.

Our latest policy brief takes a closer look at how California has implemented federal flexibilities to ensure the state’s long-term services and supports (LTSS) system is responsive to the needs of older adults and people with disabilities during the pandemic. Earlier this month, Manatt Health reviewed how other states have responded to meet LTSS needs.

COVID-19 is shining a light on the lack of coordination between Medicare and Medicaid, and is uncovering new opportunities to better serve dually eligible populations. Read TSF Board Member Melanie Bella’s blog post in the Better Care Playbook.

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.

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.

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.