Read a new article from the National Conference of State Legislatures highlighting the LTSS State Scorecard as an assessment tool for state performance, and learn best practices from leading states awarded the 2020 Pacesetter Prize.
The Buzz
News on transforming care for older adults
Tagged in: `grantee product`
February25 th
Read Manatt Health’s updated resource guide, spotlighting how states are transforming long-term services and supports during COVID-19 and planning for the future.
UC Berkeley Investigative Reporting Program launched an exploration into issues older adults are facing amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Read the following articles picked-up by a variety of news outlets:
- KQED: With COVID-19 Concerns, Anxious Families Eye In-Home Senior Care
- The Mercury News: Rapid Vaccine Rollout at California Nursing Homes Raises Concern
- CalMatters: ‘How Am I Going to Keep This Up?’ COVID Intensifies Plight of Family Caregivers
- Los Angeles Times: Vaccine roll-out at board-and-care homes
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.
February10 th
A new analysis from ATI Advisory and the Long-Term Quality Alliance (LTQA) shows that more Medicare Advantage plans are offering Special Supplemental Benefits for the Chronically Ill (SSBCI) and with wider availability. Learn more about ways to advance new, non-medical supplemental benefits in Medicare:
- Explore a new data brief and chartbook on Medicare Advantage plan offerings in 2021.
- Hear new insights on opportunities for policymakers.
- Watch Part 1 and Part 2 of a webinar series and review the slides.
- Read the Roadmap for plan considerations and policy opportunities.
Aging and Disability Business Institute (ADBI) provides resources and training to community-based organizations seeking to build contracting relationships with health care partners. Visit the redesigned ADBI website for:
- A new Resource Library
- Updated suite of assessment tools
- Best practices in contracting through Partnerships in Action
January27 th
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.
January21 st
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!
Join the Long-Term Quality Alliance (LTQA) and ATI Advisory for a new webinar on ways to advance non-medical supplemental benefits in 2022 and beyond, featuring experts from health plans, providers, and advocacy groups.
- Hear insights from ATI experts
- Review the roadmap and two-page summary
- Watch December 4th webinar recording and slides
January14 th
People who are dually eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid are among the nation’s highest-need, highest-cost populations. The Better Care Playbook has grouped resources on care models that integrate services and financing for these beneficiaries. Read the related blog.
December16 th
A new article from USA TODAY explains why the holidays are a great time to start talks about growing older with aging loved ones.
A recent radio and print piece from KQED explores how decisions families make around keeping an aging parent home or moving them out for potentially better, more constant care have become all the more complicated this year.
What is complex care? Visit the redesigned Better Care Playbook to learn about adults with complex health and social needs and the myriad resources available. Watch a related video to learn more about what’s new.
December2 nd
The Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) re-released its 2019 report on ways to expand supplemental benefits in Medicare for those with complex care needs. Starting in 2020, Medicare Advantage plans were permitted to offer special supplemental benefits for the chronically ill (SSBCI).
BPC’s latest resources include an infographic on Medicare’s legislative and regulatory pathways, an infographic on SSBCI, and a helpful one-pager.
ATI Advisory and Long-Term Quality Alliance (LTQA) shared resources on the non-medical supplemental benefits in Medicare Advantage. The related November 19 webinar recording and presentation slides are now available on the Better Care Playbook.
Read additional information from the Aging and Disability Business Institute: Changes to Medicare Advantage Reinforce the Role of CBOs in Supplemental Benefits.
Last month, the 2020 Pacesetter Prize for leadership in improving long-term services and supports (LTSS) for older adults, people with disabilities, and family caregivers was awarded to Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Ohio.
Read related coverage of this year’s LTSS State Scorecard in the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) magazine.
November19 th
The ATI Advisory and Long-Term Quality Alliance (LTQA) released new resources on the expanded, non-medical supplemental benefits in Medicare Advantage, including a roadmap outlining actionable steps as well as a brief explaining short- and long-term policy opportunities.
Join today’s 9:30 am (Pacific time) webinar from the Better Care Playbook to hear more.
The field of complex care is creating models and innovative approaches to better serve people with complex care needs. Grantmakers in Aging released Creating New Connections: How Philanthropy Can Support Better Care for People with Complex Health and Social Needs, which summarizes key issues and includes case studies for funders to deepen their work.
Our recent AARP Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) State Scorecard blog identifies opportunities for reshaping how services are delivered to older adults, people with disabilities, and their family caregivers.
November12 th
Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Ohio received the latest Pacesetter Prize for leadership in improving long-term services and supports (LTSS) for older adults, people with disabilities, and family caregivers. Each winning state had improvements or innovations in key areas of LTSS, based on data from the AARP LTSS State Scorecard.
Read the American Society on Aging (ASA) Generations Blog: Work Left to Be Done After LTSS Scorecard Shows States’ Performance
An upcoming webinar from the Better Care Playbook will explore considerations for health plan adoption and implementation of expanded supplemental benefits to address social needs. Register today.
October29 th
The Better Care Playbook is a resource that helps the complex care field find promising approaches to better care for people with complex health and social needs. To ensure the Playbook is highlighting the right information for you, take the survey.
October21 st
A new report shares takeaways from the 2020 Social Isolation Impact Summit convened by the Motion Picture & Television Fund and the Milken Institute Center for the Future of Aging.
October15 th
This week, ATI Advisory released analysis on Medicare Advantage (MA) Plan Year 2021 data. Some 738 plans are offering non-medical supplemental benefits in 2021, an increase of 48 percent from 2020.
Recently, AARP released the fourth edition of the Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) State Scorecard. It provides comparable data in order for state leaders, stakeholders, and others to benchmark performance, measure progress, and identify key areas of improvement.
See how California ranked, and read our policy brief. Read related coverage from McKnight’s Senior Living.
October13 th
New polling from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research (AP-NORC) shows that more than one-third of U.S. family caregivers have seen their responsibilities increase due to COVID-19. Yet, 2020 has not led to any heightened awareness when it comes to preparations for growing older or providing support to others.
A related Associated Press article further distills caregivers’ current experiences. 
This Better Care Playbook blog features insights from interviews with more than 50 leaders in the field, each who share their perspectives on balancing margin versus mission tensions in complex care.
September30 th
The Better Care Playbook is continually being updated to better meet users’ needs, and several exciting changes are coming this fall. As they continue to refine their approach, they want to hear from you. Take the survey.