The Buzz

The California Department of Health Care Services Office of Medicare Innovation and Integration recently released the second in a series of chartbooks developed with ATI Advisory. Each resource provides information on the demographics, needs, and health care experiences of California’s Medicare beneficiary population.

Developing programs and services that are culturally and linguistically responsive is critical to addressing disparities and improving the care experience. Cultural and Linguistic Demographics of the California Medicare Population includes information about language and birthplace demographics. Also, read the prior chartbook, an overview of the state’s Medicare beneficiaries.

We partner with UC Berkeley’s Investigative Reporting Program (IRP) to elevate innovative programs for older adults. Two recent articles share local activities that help older adults connect to their communities and could be replicated across the nation.

• An Atlanta-based collaborative is equipping Black churches with funding and support to make services more welcoming for people living with dementia and their families.
• Intergenerational programs in Connecticut and Ohio are helping older adults care for and retain their pets.

Review past articles in the IRP series.

The majority of older adults want to remain in their own homes and communities as they age, and home- and community-based care tends to be more cost-effective than institutional alternatives. Estimates indicate that gradually shifting Medicaid spending from institutional services to home- and community-based care, a process known as rebalancing, can reduce state costs by about 15 percent over 10 years.

The federal American Rescue Plan Act temporarily increased funding states could use to improve Medicaid home- and community-based services, known as HCBS. States have through March 31, 2025, to use the funding for a variety of HCBS services.

Learn more from the National Conference of State Legislatures, and watch a related webinar.

In a recent article for Today’s Geriatric Medicine, TSF President and CEO Sarita A. Mohanty, MD, MPH, MBA, discussed barriers to aging well at home and in community, and potential solutions to make it more of a reality. It starts with a person having conversations with their families and friends as well as doctors about one’s “aging goals.”

“This includes asking questions about [a person’s] future preferences and reiterating the need to plan how their needs will be met and how they will be paid for,” Dr. Mohanty said. “While helping every patient age in place is not the job of every physician, advocating for one’s patients is. Physicians and the organizations they work for can influence systems change and advocate for access to services for their older adult patients. …”

The “forgotten middle” represents more than 11 million older adults who will need health care and housing in the next 10 years but won’t qualify for Medicaid to help alleviate increasing costs. We’re hosting a virtual briefing on May 11 to discuss the urgent need for action.

Join Dr. Sarita A. Mohanty, President and CEO of The SCAN Foundation, and Caroline Pearson, Executive Director at the Peterson Center on Healthcare, to provide insights on how the intersections of housing insecurity, health care access and affordability, and available community services affect older adults.

Register for the May 11 webinar today.

In a recent article for Today’s Geriatric Medicine, TSF President and CEO Sarita A. Mohanty, MD, MPH, MBA, discussed barriers to aging in place and potential solutions to make aging well more of a reality. It starts with a person having conversations with their families and friends as well as doctors about one’s “aging goals.”

“This includes asking questions about [a person’s] future preferences and reiterating the need to plan how their needs will be met and how they will be paid for,” Dr. Mohanty said. “While helping every patient age in place is not the job of every physician, advocating for one’s patients is. Physicians and the organizations they work for can influence systems change and advocate for access to services for their older adult patients. …”

Health disparities among older adults abound and are further exacerbated for individuals from historically marginalized communities. Efforts to address racial and ethnic disparities in aging exist, but there is an opportunity for further cohesion, expedition, and greater impact.

Launched in October 2022 and dedicated to engaging people with lived experience, the Advancing Health Equity in Aging initiative seeks to convene, organize, and harmonize efforts by sustaining a diverse, cross-sector network to develop and design solutions targeting the specific drivers of poor health outcomes. See who’s on our Steering Committee and learn more.

TSF is hiring a senior policy analyst. If you or someone you know has a passion for transforming systems to better serve older adults and people with disabilities and has professional experience with state aging, health, and long-term care policies, take a look at our latest recent job posting.

During the pandemic, the Central Coast Center for Independent Living (CCCIL) evolved their strategies to maximize programs’ impact on community members. Learn how the Regional Coalition is thinking about the future.

CCCIL is part of the California Advocacy Network, a statewide movement involving nearly 1,000 organizations who serve more than 95 percent of California’s population.

• Education is key to San Diego Senior Alliance’s aging initiative.
• Community needs are at the heart of Marin County Aging Action Initiative’s advocacy efforts.

The Aging and Disability Business Institute at USAging is now accepting nominations for The John A. Hartford Foundation 2023 Business Innovation Award. The deadline for nominations is May 5.

The John A. Hartford Foundation 2023 Business Innovation Award recognizes aging and disability community-based organizations (CBOs) for their innovative approaches to reducing health care costs and improving the well-being of older adults and people with disabilities through contracts and strategic partnerships with health care entities. The goal is to scale these types of partnerships nationwide. Apply today.

Multisector Plans for Aging (MPAs) can serve as blueprints for committing to a vision and implementing a world where all people are fully valued, recognized, and engaged at all ages. A recent Grantmakers In Aging brief examines the fundamentals of the MPA movement and discusses how funders can get involved and help advance the work.

California is transforming the Medi-Cal program to be more coordinated and person-centered through the California Advancing and​ Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) program. For beneficiaries who qualify, managed care plans will offer enhanced care management and various community supports through community-based organizations (CBOs).

To help CBOs build capacity to partner with health plans and participate in the new system, the state is offering Providing Access and Transforming Health (PATH) — Capacity and Infrastructure Transition, Expansion and Development (CITED) grants. Register for the April 27 webinar to learn about the grants and prepare for the future. (Sponsored by TSF and the Archstone Foundation)

Earlier this year, Senior Services Coalition of Alameda County convened local stakeholders for a virtual conference, Making the Difference: Striving for Equity at the Intersection of Health, Housing and Aging in the Community. Event presentations, conference materials, and recordings of the sessions are now available on the Coalition’s website.

Through community health needs assessments, hospitals work with the community to identify unmet needs and then implement a plan to prioritize and address them. Nonprofit hospitals often fund some or most of this work using community benefit dollars. Join USAging’s Aging and Disability Business Institute (ADBI) this Friday for an overview of this process, why it is important, and how community-based organizations can partner with hospitals to drive more equitable health outcomes.

There is a lack of geriatric-prepared providers in rural areas where older adults live. A study of Pennsylvania’s largest federally qualified health center found that using the Project ECHO model to train rural providers on the 4Ms Age-Friendly Health Systems Framework demonstrated successful process outcomes.

TSF and our grantees are headed to Atlanta for the annual conference of the American Society on Aging (ASA). Check out where you can find us and register for On Aging 2023.

• Join TSF Vice President of Programs, Equity, and Community Impact Rigo Saborio and a distinguished set of speakers for a preconference workshop to unpack how a state can start and build momentum for a Multisector Plan for Aging. Hear strategies for building cross-agency collaboration and centering equity, learn how to engage diverse stakeholders, get guidance on tracking data and measuring success, and find out lessons learned from other states. (March 27)
• Why a Multisector Plan for Aging? States Share Their Unique Approaches and Tools. In this session, leaders from three states that are participating in an Multisector Plan for Aging (MPA) Learning Collaborative will describe where they are in their development process as well as their unique strategies for MPA development. This includes cross-sector planning and broad consumer and stakeholder engagement, using data, messaging, and more. (March 28)
• Building Partnerships to Deliver Medicare Advantage Nonmedical Benefits. Megan Burke, TSF Program Officer for Policy and Advocacy, will provide opening remarks during this session designed to present the latest trends in nonmedical benefits and illustrate the value and scope of innovative, collaborative partnerships to best deliver the benefits in a person-centered, tailored way within diverse communities across the country. (March 30)

Four years into implementation, nearly 40 percent of Medicare Advantage (MA) plans are offering either expanded primarily health-related benefits (EPHRB) or Special Supplemental Benefits for the Chronically Ill (SSBCI) to help beneficiaries meet goals for independence. The latest report produced by ATI Advisory and Long-Term Quality Alliance (LTQA) examines the growth of three specific benefits: in-home support services, caregiver supports, and social needs.

Watch a recording complementing the report featuring opening remarks from TSF Vice President of Policy Narda Ipakchi.

Our partnership with UC Berkeley’s Investigative Reporting Program supports reporting on issues affecting the lives of older adults living at home and in community. A recent piece in The Sacramento Bee and affiliated publications explores reasons why nearly 1.5 million eligible older adults in California aren’t taking advantage of the state food stamp program.

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.

This month, Grantmakers In Aging (GIA) interviewed Rigo J. Saborio, TSF’s Vice President of Programs, Equity, and Community Impact. Recently elected to GIA’s Board of Directors, Rigo shared some insights on his professional journey and more.

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.

How are Medicare Advantage (MA) plans structuring and delivering nonmedical supplemental benefits to meaningfully meet members’ needs? The Long-Term Quality Alliance (LTQA) and ATI Advisory conducted an analysis of three nonmedical benefits: in-home support services (IHSS), caregiver supports, and social needs. Join them for a webinar to learn about the findings.

A Multisector Plan for Aging (MPA) is an umbrella term for a state-led, multiyear planning process that convenes cross-sector stakeholders to address the needs of older adults and people with disabilities.

A Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) blog from Kim McCoy Wade – Senior Advisor on Aging, Disability and Alzheimer’s for the Office of California Governor Gavin Newsom – offers advice to states that are beginning the journey. Also, watch a recent Future Proof Live episode all about MPAs.

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.

The complex care evidence base is growing, yet meaningful patient involvement in the research is lacking. As a result, researchers often measure “success” as defined by health systems and plans, typically based on reduced utilization and costs.

The Better Care Playbook engaged a social justice, community, and behavioral health advocate to discuss the value of involving people with lived experience in the research process.

Governor Newsom’s 2023-24 proposed budget focuses on housing, workforce issues, economic security, and other initiatives that impact older adults and people with disabilities. Learn how the proposed budget maintains key investments in the state’s Master Plan for Aging (MPA).

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.

By the end of the decade, all baby boomers will be age 65 and older. Recognizing this shift and the variety of factors that affect the aging experience, state policymakers have engaged numerous programs to help older adults thrive.

The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) highlights progress across the country, including those states already implementing Multisector Plans for Aging (MPAs) or participating in the Multisector Plan for Aging Learning Collaborative.

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.

Throughout the pandemic, research showed the potential for PHE flexibilities to minimize administrative, clinical, and financial barriers while significantly advancing person-centered, equitable care.

The Roadmap was developed following formative efforts. This included a 2022 issue brief and policymaker playbook that examined the benefits and risks of PHE flexibilities, described a person-centered assessment framework, and offered recommendations for flexibilities that could be considered for permanence.