The Buzz

For decades, states have been working to integrate care to improve access to high-quality care for people dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid, but progress is limited. Multisector Plans for Aging (MPAs) can support a process by which states can navigate the infrastructure and political constraints that have historically prevented states from advancing Medicare-Medicaid integration efforts.

In a new Health Affairs blog, TSF explores how an MPA can help states navigate barriers to advancing integrated, high-quality health care.

The latest report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality examines opportunities for developing a person-centered care system and integrating the voices of older adults, caregivers, and communities to design effective models of care for improving older adults’ health and well-being. View the spring roundtable report.

Read the chartbook; attend the July 17 webinar.

California’s older Medicare beneficiaries with income just above the Medi-Cal eligibility limit (near dual) have a similar demographic profile to people dually eligible for Medicare and Medi-Cal. They also have higher rates of disability and less access to social supports than those with higher incomes. However, they are not eligible for Medi-Cal long-term services and supports and do not have the resources to pay privately for care.

To better understand the demographics and needs of this population, the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) Office of Medicare Innovation and Integration recently released a Profile of Older Californians: Medicare Beneficiaries Near Income Eligibility for Medi-Cal. Developed by ATI Advisory, this is the third chartbook in a series that provides information on the demographics, needs, and health care experiences of California’s Medicare beneficiaries. See the other chartbooks, and the related TSF webpage:

• Profile of the California Medicare Population
• Cultural and Linguistic Demographics of the California Medicare Population

Join TSF on July 17 for a webinar and discussion hosted by DHCS which will build on the chartbook topics.

A resource guide published by USAging’s Aging and Disability Business Institute, the Partnership to Align Social Care, and the Camden Coalition lists five reasons why health plans should work with community-based organizations (CBOs) and uses case examples from real-life partnerships.

Read Partnerships with Community-based Organizations: Opportunities for Health Plans to Create Value.

Although recent data from the LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston shows that U.S. adults, age 50+, feel their care preferences are being considered more often, stark racial and socioeconomic inequities persist. That’s the main finding of a comprehensive look at care preferences from 2014-20, funded by The SCAN Foundation.

The analyses reveal that race, income, and geography highly influence people’s care experiences. Read the related press release.

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.

Last month, we hosted a virtual briefing on the urgent need for action. Sarita A. Mohanty, President and CEO of The SCAN Foundation, and Caroline Pearson, Executive Director at the Peterson Center on Healthcare, discussed the intersections of housing insecurity, health care access and affordability, and community services. Watch the recording.

Earlier this year, The SCAN Foundation’s Vice President of Policy Narda Ipakchi joined seven other U.S. leaders and met with peers in Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore to learn about innovative global efforts to advance health care delivery and equity.

How can we translate these insights and get more creative within our U.S. system? A recent piece about the trip is a New York Times guest essay by trip participant Aaron E. Carroll, MD, MS, Chief Health Officer of Indiana University.

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.

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. …”

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.

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.

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)

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.

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.