Public Health

ACL, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) have published new resources to help states, vaccination providers, and others leading COVID-19 response activities improve access to vaccines for people with disabilities and older adults. These resources clarify legal requirements, explain barriers to vaccine access and provide examples of how the aging and disability network can help increase access.

A coalition of aging and disability groups, including ADvancing States, partnered to develop a guide to making vaccination sites fully accessible to older adults and people with disabilities. The recommendations included in the guide address significant gaps in accessibility of vaccine administration sites and can go a long way toward increasing vaccination rates in these vulnerable populations.

The National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care published a summary on CMS' latest guidance on nursing home visitiation, issued on March 10, 2021. The summary highlights key points and changes from the September issue regarding indoor vistation as well as lists potential concerns.

CMS, in collaboration with New Editions Consulting Inc. is offering free HCBS technical assistance to states who are: planning on expanding Medicaid home and community-based services, and/or changing approaches and strategies to be more responsive to CMS guidance, stakeholder input, and state priorities, and/or modifying current HCBS programs based on state and stakeholder experiences in response to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency.

The National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities has launched a new vaccination resource website for the I/DD community. The site shares trusted sources to help inform vaccine decisions among the community and caregivers.

On March 29th, President Biden announced several actions to expand access to COVID-19 vaccines, including an exciting partnership between ACL and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to increase vaccine access for people with disabilities and older adults. Read the news release for more information about funding distribution.

On March 24, 2021 President Biden signed the SAVES LIVES Act into law, expanding VA's legal authority to provide COVID-19 vaccines to all Veterans, regardless of their VA health care enrollment status, as well as Veteran spouses, caregivers and some beneficiaries. The expanded authority depends on readily available COVID-19 vaccine supply and requires VA to continue to prioritize vaccinations and healthcare delivery for our nation’s Veterans enrolled in VA care.

BellAge has released new findings from their CV19 CheckUp survey that show risk education can help save lives during the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings include that most adults (79%) dangerously underestimate the lethal threat risk that COVID-19 poses to older adults, and when informed of the true magnitude or the lethal threat risks, most of respondents (63%) say they would modify their behaviors to keep older adults and loved ones safe. Download the PDF to read more about their findings.

The American Association on Health and Disability is concerned about the impact of COVID-19 on persons with disabilities, and has launched a cross disability survey to look at vaccine hesitancy and access challenges people with disabilities are encountering. The purpose of the survey is to better understand the reasons adults with disabilities have or will take the vaccine, are not sure about taking the vaccine, or have decided not to take the vaccine.

This brief takes a look at multiple measures beyond waiver waiting lists to evaluate state choices about optional Medicaid eligibility pathways, spending, and services for seniors and people with disabilities as of 2018. The analysis draws on KFF resources, including 50-state surveys of Medicaid financial eligibility pathways for seniors and people with disabilities, HCBS waiver programs, and state plan benefits offered, as well as state Medicaid LTSS expenditures reported by Mathematica.