Aging/Older Adults

This report explores the role played by managed care organizations delivering Medicaid long term services and support programs during the COVID-19 pandemic. The report looks at the roles and responsibilities of governments, nursing homes, and MLTSS plans and argues their role in the pandemic response as well as the role of federal funding and data use, should all be examined further to inform future policy.

The National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) at ACL has funded 81 new grants and contract awards in fiscal year 2021, ranging from six-months long Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) projects building new technology to five-year centers conducting research and training in rehabilitation interventions.

The study examined self-reported data from over 10,200 Medicaid HCBS beneficiaries across 13 states using the NCI-AD survey. Unmet needs for Medicaid HCBS were consistently and significantly associated with poor health outcomes (emergency department visits, hospital stays, and preventative care) and community living outcomes (community participation, relationships with family and friends, satisfaction with how time is spent during the day, and sense of control in life.

On Thursday, October 21, 2021 CMS launched a new “one-stop shop” for state Medicaid agencies and stakeholders on Medicaid.gov to advance transparency and innovation for home and community-based services. Through this new webpage, state Medicaid agencies and stakeholders can access information about states’ plans to enhance, expand, and strengthen home and community-based services across the country using new Medicaid funding made available by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP).

NCOA, in partnership with the Medicare Rights Center, recently expanded the resources in their toolkit that help explain integrated care coverage options for dual eligibles. New items in the toolkit include a video tutorial explaining integrated care, an infographic for counselors, and comparison charts highlighting the differences between Original Medicare, PACE, Duals Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs) and integrated D-SNPs.

ACL released a report on the 5th year of data collected by the National Adult Maltreatment Reporting System (NAMRS). NAMRS is the only comprehensive national initiative compiling data on the abuse, neglect, and exploitation of older adults and adults with disabilities as reported to state adult protective services (APS). In this report, the APS TARC (Adult Protective Services Technical Assistance Resource Center) began to look at the potential impact of the COVID-19 on adult maltreatment.

The SHIP TA Center has published a one-page handout called “Medicare coverage of the COVID-19 vaccine," which comes with a companion guide for aging network professionals, "Talking about Medicare Coverage of the COVID-19 Vaccine.” The guide addresses biases, engagement & building a trusting relationship, session structure & sample scripts, handling strong emotions or difficult behaviors, frequently asked questions about Medicare coverage and the vaccine, and how to find other COVID resources.

The Social Security Administration has announced that approximately 70 million Americans will see a 5.9% increase in their Social Security benefits and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments in 2022. Federal benefit rates increase when the cost-of-living rises, as measured by the Department of Labor’s Consumer Price Index (CPI-W). The CPI-W rises when inflation increases, leading to a higher cost-of-living.

This blog post by Keri Lipperini, ACL's Director of the Office of Nutrition and Health Promotion Programs, discusses how social isolation during COVID-19 has affected the health and wellbeing of older adults. The post also highlights ACL programs that are targeting this issue, including PEARLS, Healthy IDEAS, and BRITE, which are three evidence-based programs that aim to reduce the risk of suicide by tackling depression and substance abuse among older adults.

On Friday, September 24, 2021 the CDC recommended booster shots of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for people at highest risk of serious illness and those in high risk occupational and institutional settings. CDC guidance now reccomends that individuals should receive a booster shot if they are: 65 years old or older,18 years old or older and live in a long-term care setting, aged 50–64 years and have underlying medical conditions.