Advocates

On Tuesday, June 15, 2021 the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) released its June 2021 Report to Congress on Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The report recommends that Congress take measures to address the effect of high-cost specialty drugs on state Medicaid programs and take steps that would improve access to mental health services for adults and children enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP.

This report captures State Grantee accomplishments, highlighting the knowledge, commitment, ingenuity, and skillful stewardship and administration of resources. Through their work, state Lifespan Respite grantees provide evidence of the merit of the Lifespan Respite Care Program, and inform our path forward.

The Disability Information and Access Line (DIAL) connects callers to information about how to access the COVID-19 vaccine and related supports for people with disabilities. DIAL connects callers to vaccine sites and provides information related to barriers to vaccination by referring callers to local and national disability resources. acl.gov/dial | 888-677-1199 from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM ET | DIAL@n4a.org

On June 4, 2021, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a Medicaid Informational Bulletin with the updated 2021 Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Spousal Impoverishment Standards.

RRF Foundation for Aging has released an issue brief on investing in caregiving. More than 53 million people are family caregivers who provide essential support to older adults. Estimates suggest that the care they provide is worth nearly half a trillion dollars, making caregivers the nation’s largest healthcare workforce. This brief provides an overview of the key issues around caregiver support and describes the work the foundation is funding to address these issues.

Value-based payment (VBP), provider payment models that shift from volume-based fee-for-service to support value-driven care delivery, is an important strategy for states seeking to promote innovative primary care approaches through Medicaid managed care. This blog post highlights opportunities for states to implement payment models that support primary care providers in offering more comprehensive care, such as through integrating physical and behavioral health care.

To celebrate Older Americans Month, ACL has published their 2020 Profile of Older Americans report. This report highlights the demographics and experiences of older adults throughout the last year of the COVID-19 pandemic. The report captures trends in workforce participation, diversity, mental health and economic disparities across the community.

Dual eligibles for Medicare and Medicaid have higher levels of chronic pain and use prescription opioids to treat pain more often than those eligible for Medicare only, putting them at a higher risk for opioid misuse or addiction. This brief presents examples of multimodal pain management options that clinicians can consider for treating pain among dually eligible individuals. The resource describes various treatment options, key evidence, and prescribing considerations for each option.

This report is an update to NAC's research series, Caregiving in the U.S., conducted roughly every five years. The 2020 update shows that the number of family caregivers in the United States has increased by 9.5 million from 2015 to 2020. The report has also found that the general health of family caregivers has declined in the last five years. Read the full report to learn more. Dowload is available in Spanish.

This resource outlines state examples of accountable care organizations’ incentives that can be used to advance health equity. This resource is a product of Advancing Health Equity: Leading Care, Payment, and Systems Transformation, a national program based at the University of Chicago, operated in partnership with CHCS and the Institute.