Aging/Older Adults

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.

The Social Security Advisory Board has released its annual report summarizing their work during fiscal year 2020 and detailing information regarding its accomplishments, including Board publications and commissioned work.

This Mathematica article summarizes some of their key findings from a recent study utilizing NCI-AD data. The study contributes important information to the field of managed care long-term services and supports (MLTSS) and quality outcomes. One finding shares “MLTSS enrollees rated their experience of care and quality of life more favorably than fee-for-service beneficiaries.”

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 Assisted Living Research Institute has created a resource page detailing comprehensive research and insights on medical alert systems. The webpage provides a practical, clear overview of assistive technology options for fall prevention. On the page, there are also sections dedicated to helping individuals learn more about medical alert systems and compare them.

Mathematica’s Center for Studying Disability Policy recently created interactive state disability maps that reveal important patterns in state- and county-level prevalence of disability among working-age adults as well as how that prevalence compares with Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income participation rates. This information can help policymakers and program managers identify areas with the highest needs or potential benefit discrepancies.

CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) has been fielding the 5th wave of the biennial National Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Study (NPALS). NCHS is asking Directors of adult day services centers and residential care communities to participate in the study by completing and submitting the ADSC and RCC questionnaire. To review the 2020 ADSC and RCC survey FAQs, download samples and learn more about the study, visit the portal.

On March 18, 2021 The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a Medicaid Informational Bulletin with the updated 2021 Federal Poverty Level (FPL) Standards. The bulletin also includes the 2021 Dual Eligible Standards chart that displays the new standards for the Medicare Savings Program categories.

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.