The Buzz

Last week, the Alliance for Health Policy held a webinar to discuss telehealth policy and other considerations for using the public health emergency (PHE) flexibilities to improve person-centered, equitable care for adults. Watch the recording, as well as access the transcript and presentation.

The related PHE Flexibilities Roadmap for Policymakers resources supported by TSF and released earlier this year provide concrete and consensus-driven recommendations to federal and state policymakers on which temporary Medicare and Medicaid flexibilities should be made permanent.

Join Alliance for Health Policy this Friday for a webinar: Moving Beyond COVID-19: Considerations for Using PHE Flexibilities to Improve Person-Centered Care. The event will feature TSF leadership and a diverse panel of experts to discuss considerations for using the public health emergence (PHE) flexibilities to improve person-centered, equitable care for older adults.

This webinar further unpacks the PHE Flexibilities Roadmap for Policymakers resources supported by TSF and released earlier this year. The Roadmap provides concrete and consensus-driven recommendations to federal and state policymakers on which temporary Medicare and Medicaid flexibilities should be made permanent. View the related media advisory.

The National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago conducted a 2022 survey on the health care needs and experiences of Californians age 55 and older. Our new fact sheets distill findings as they relate to care coordination, mental health, income disparities, and caregiving.

Learn about our initiative to influence access and care delivery and coordinate medical and nonmedical services in support of community living.

TSF’s Anika S. Heavener, Vice President of Innovation and Investments, spoke with Silver Solutions CEO Dan Lagani for the Age Wise podcast on the challenges facing aging populations and TSF’s priorities and hopes in 2023. Watch the episode.

Medicare beneficiaries with chronic conditions and daily living challenges struggle to navigate a complex care system. Our page on Innovating for Medicare Beneficiaries outlines how states can improve equitable access to high-quality care and services for their Medicare populations. In California, learn how one woman supports the Medicare-eligible.

Supported by TSF, a group of expert stakeholders with diverse perspectives met over several months to assess COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) flexibilities. Resources on the webpage PHE Flexibilities Roadmap for Policymakers provide concrete and consensus-driven recommendations to federal and state policymakers on which temporary Medicare and Medicaid flexibilities should be made permanent to increase access to equitable, person-centered care for older adults. View the Roadmap and media advisory.

Among the flexibilities that experts found should be made permanent are those that:

• Expand telehealth benefits to ensure equitable access to remote care;
• Maximize clinician scope of practice to expand the workforce available to care for older adults; and
• Ease Medicare and Medicaid program requirements to enable more individuals to qualify to get the care they need.

Join Alliance for Health Policy on Friday, March 3, at 9 am PT for a webinar: Moving Beyond COVID-19: Considerations for Using PHE Flexibilities to Improve Person-Centered Care. The event will feature TSF leadership and a diverse panel of experts to discuss considerations for using the PHE flexibilities to improve person-centered, equitable care for older adults.

Medicare beneficiaries with chronic conditions and daily living challenges struggle to navigate a complex system of care. Innovating for Medicare Beneficiaries outlines ways states can improve equitable access to high-quality care and services for this population. In California, a survey conducted by The National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago highlights the health care needs and experiences of adults age 55 and older. Also, view an ATI Advisory profile of California’s Medicare population.

A new brief from AARP Public Policy Institute presents the vision and framework for the 2023 Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) State Scorecard. The brief discusses AARP’s approach to the 2023 edition of the Scorecard, reflects on changes since the Scorecard was first published in 2011, and considers how future editions may best meet today’s needs.

We are hitting the road. TSF will be in Las Vegas, Nevada, for HLTH 2022—health care’s leading innovation event. You are invited to hear about our future innovation and investments activities.

• November 14: Join TSF for a dessert bar at Sugarfina from 8-10 pm PT. Please request an invitation by contacting Gina Alferez at .
• November 15: Meet our team at the ScaleHealth Pavilion from 2-3 pm PT.

Then it’s onto Charm City. Mission Investors Exchange National Conference (MIE) is the premier event for impact investors in philanthropy. Come discuss partnerships and investments, and hear from leading voices. Then join the TSF Innovation and Investments team for a dinner December 5, location TBD in Baltimore, Maryland. Contact Gina Alferez at to request an invitation.

This year we celebrate the City of West Hollywood for its Aging in Place, Aging in Community initiative, designed to help the city embrace aging and be a place that people can enjoy across the lifespan. Dr. Mohanty enjoyed presenting the Innovation Award to the City Council and Mayor earlier this week.

Watch a video about the winner and see the honorable mentions.

We recently hired three vice presidents from diverse sectors of health care to build out our executive team:

• Anika S. Heavener, Vice President of Innovation and Investments;
• Narda Ipakchi, Vice President of Policy; and
• Rigo A. Saborio, Vice President of Programs, Equity, and Community Impact.

The appointments conclude a broad executive search for proven, dynamic, and diverse leaders to advance TSF’s strategic priorities. Read more.

Last week, Anika S. Heavener joined TSF as our first Vice President of Innovation and Investments. Most recently, Anika was a Vice President at Homethrive, where she helped the start-up reach over $40 million in total funding to support caregivers and their loved ones with the journey of aging in place. Anika will apply her extensive experience in both venture and operations to grow the Foundation’s innovation and mission-oriented investing.

Few Americans say their lives have returned to what they were pre-pandemic, according to the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research (AP-NORC). Groups that have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic – such as Black and Hispanic Americans – express more reservations about returning to public life and cite the availability of effective COVID-19 treatments as essential for doing so.

“It’s critical to consider the needs of Hispanic and Black American communities beyond masking and testing, but also through the continuation of pandemic-era services like telehealth, curbside pickup, and virtual options for social activities that help those concerned about the virus to still engage with public life,” said Dr. Sarita A. Mohanty, president and CEO of The SCAN Foundation.

See the related Associated Press article.

Our 2022 award will recognize an organization that has demonstrated innovation in implementing a local Master Plan for Aging (MPA).

Calling all California local leaders: How are you using the MPA Local Playbook and building upon existing efforts with age-friendly models and initiatives? Apply by Tuesday, July 12!

Our TSF 2022 Innovation Award will recognize an organization that has demonstrated innovation in implementing a local Master Plan for Aging (MPA).

The award will highlight how a California city or county is using the MPA Local Playbook and how local leaders are building upon existing efforts with age-friendly models and initiatives. Learn more and apply by July 12!

Our 2022 Innovation Award will recognize an organization that has demonstrated innovation in implementing a local Master Plan for Aging (MPA).

The award will highlight how a California city or county is using the MPA Local Playbook and how local leaders are building upon existing efforts with age-friendly models and initiatives. Learn more and apply by July 12!

Our 2022 Innovation Award will recognize an organization that has demonstrated innovative models of local Master Plan for Aging (MPA) implementation.

We aim to highlight and celebrate how California cities and/or counties are using the MPA Local Playbook, and how local leaders are engaged in and building upon existing efforts with age-friendly models and initiatives unique to the applicant’s local area.

Learn more and apply by July 12!

The theme of our Innovation Award changes annually. Watch videos about past awardees: Covia, a Front Porch Partner in 2021; DayBreak Adult Care Centers in 2020; and the Berkeley Age-Friendly Continuum in 2019.