Aging/Older Adults

ATI Advisory released extensive data analysis of Medicare claims data to highlight the disparate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on individuals eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid (dual eligibles).The analysis also offers policy pathways for states to improve integrated care for this vulnerable population.

FAIR Health recently published a study that highlights the relationship between preexisting comorbidities of COVID-19 and mortality in privately insured patients. The study describes those most vulnerable to severe COVID-19 outcomes, which helps to inform prevention, treatment and possible protocols for vaccine distribution prioritization, once developed. This study builds on FAIR Health’s series of five COVID-19 briefs that have highlighted the widespread economic impact of the pandemic.

The Commission on Law and Aging of the American Bar Association recently released a briefing paper discussing project findings and conclusions about Working Interdisciplinary Networks of Guardianship Stakeholders (WINGS). This briefing paper describes challenges of adult guardianship reform and the rationale for establishing WINGS, discusses the potential for applying a nation Court Improvement Program model to the adult guardianship system, and provides federal policy recommendations.

GAO recently published a report to examine how other countries provide support to family caregivers, challenges present in these approaches, and the development of HHS’ national family caregiving strategy. GAO researched caregiver policies from Australia, Germany, and the United Kingdom, which focused on employment flexibility, income support, and pension credits for family caregivers.

The Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving (RCI) recently released a report with the results of a survey of caregivers nationwide. RCI surveyed caregivers through its partner network and 422 provided responses in the summer of 2020. The study sought to explore the direct experience of caregiver stress since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey includes data on financial stressors, medical stressors, isolation, and other factors affecting caregiver stress in the pandemic.

The GAO released a report on the impacts of the 2013 regulation that revised the domestic service employment and companionship services under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). This rule, which became effective in 2015, had the effect of extending minimum wage and overtime protections to a broader range of home care workers, many of whom provide Medicaid-funded home and community based services (HCBS).

CHCS and Speire Healthcare Strategies released a report about COVID-19 response efforts from states and health plans that offer integrated care programs for duals. People who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid are among the nation’s most vulnerable to the coronavirus. The report outlines opportunities to support integration and identifies opportunities to strengthen programs and policies to best support the dual eligible population during the pandemic and in the future.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, health risks and financial burdens for certain at-risk populations can make access to food challenging. This issue brief explores the adjustments that states have made to nutrition programs. The brief highlights examples of opportunities available and changes that states have made to ensure older adults and persons with disabilities have access to food during the pandemic. Data and findings are drawn from the ADvancing States 2020 COVID-19 Membership Survey.

CMS released a new supplement to its State Medicaid & CHIP Telehealth Toolkit that provides new examples and insights into lessons learned from states that have implemented telehealth changes. The toolkit includes approaches and tools states can use to communicate with providers on utilizing telehealth. The toolkit includes updates and consolidates the FAQs and resources for states to consider as they begin planning beyond the temporary flexibilities provided in response to the pandemic.

The updated supplemental information is intended to help states strategically think through how they explain and clarify to telehealth providers and other stakeholders which policies are temporary or permanent. It also helps states identify: • Services that can be accessed through telehealth • Which providers may deliver those services • Ways providers may use in order to deliver services through telehealth, • Circumstances under which telehealth can be reimbursed once the PHE expires