LTSS

The National Council on Disability (NCD) released a new report on implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and disabilities. This is the second of three reports on the subject. This report includes a review of the literature that studies the impact of ACA implementation on people with disabilities, qualitative interviews with key informants from ten states, an analysis of the ACA implementation choices seen in many states, and recommendations for future research on this topic.

The National Council on Disability released a new report on implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and disabilities. This is the first of three reports on the subject. While the Affordable Care Act is a significant piece of legislation, people with disabilities were largely left outside of the policy conversation. This report is meant to serve as a "roadmap" for people with disabilities and how it will affect them depending on how it is implemented.

This white paper examines the progress that is being made in the Aging Network. This paper covers key developments that are re-shaping the network as well as efforts to better measure the quality and value of its programs and services. The paper also includes: Case studies highlighting the work of the aging network in Florida, Massachusetts and California, discussion of quality initiatives and congressional actions, and concluding observations.

The Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS), in partnership with Mathematica Policy Research and Airam Actuarial Consulting, released an issue brief on the state considerations when setting capitation rates for Medicaid Managed Long-Term Services and Supports (MLTSS) programs. CHCS and its partners examined the considerations taken by eight states (Arizona, Kansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin) as they established their MLTSS rates.

The White House released the final report from the White House Conference on Aging (WHCOA). President Barack Obama hosted the sixth WHCOA on July 13, 2015. Prior to the conference, events were hosted all over the United States to allow stakeholders to provide their input. The final report summarizes the work done both at the WHCOA and during the pre-conference activities and feedback elicited throughout the process.

The AARP Public Policy Institute published a report that examined what state Medicaid agencies need in order to effectively monitor the performance of managed long-term services and supports (MLTSS) programs. Eight states with long-term experience operating and overseeing MLTSS were used to analyze monitoring capacities and develop promising practices. The states were: Arizona, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin.

The white paper examines the impact that managed care organizations can have on cost and quality of care for older adults and people with disabilities. The National Council on Disability found that MCOs can lower the costs of services for these populations. However, MCOs must face the challenge of training staff on person-centered planning and competency for the quality of care to genuinely increase. This provides an analysis of the positives and negatives of MCOs and where to move from here.