Aging/Older Adults

On July 20th, the Senate Special Committee on Aging held a hearing titled "Laying the Foundation: Housing Accessibility and Affordability for Older Adults and People with Disabilities." Led by Committee Chair Bob Casey (D-PA) and Ranking Member Mike Braun (R-IN), the committee was joined by four disability rights and housing experts to discuss the current state of affordable and accessible housing, regulatory and systemic barriers, and potential solutions, including: ...

The Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation at the University of Michigan recently published a study titled "Detecting Alzheimer’s Disease: Older Adults’ Experiences with Cognitive Screening & Blood Biomarker Testing." The article presents findings from a national survey conducted in January 2023, which explores the knowledge, utilization, and perceptions of cognitive screening and blood biomarker testing for Alzheimer's disease among adults aged 65-80. The study highlights the participants' views on the benefits, limitations, and potential risks associated with these screening methods and offers valuable insights for healthcare professionals and policymakers in the context of early detection and care planning for Alzheimer's disease

n July 7, The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced actions to protect consumers from junk health plans, surprise medical bills, and excess costs that lead to medical debt. HHS also released a new report projecting that nearly 19 million older adults and people with disabilities with Medicare will save on average $400 per year on prescription drug costs when the $2,000 out-of-pocket prescription drug spending cap from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) goes into effect in 2025...

Read the latest publication from the Partnership to Align Social Care, USAging’s Aging and Disability Business Institute, and the Camden Coalition to learn more about the benefits of partnerships between CBOs and health plans. This new resource highlights the top five reasons why health plans should partner with CBOs and provides case examples from real-life partnerships.

The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) has collaborated with the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago to curate a comprehensive data analysis report regarding Elder Financial Exploitation (EFE) losses experienced by adults over the age of 60. They found that victims of EFE in the United States lose $28.3 billion a year, and about 72% of the losses arise from fraud by people the victims know personally....

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) posted an expanded Report to Congress for Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) in Medicaid. This new report supplies data from the Transformed Medicaid Statistical Information System (T-MSIS) from 2018-2021. This report provides a detailed analysis of Medicaid coverage of NEMT such as the types of medical services accessed when using NEMT by beneficiary subgroup, a comparison by delivery model of the volume of NEMT services used by states, and monthly trends in the use of NEMT versus telehealth services.

On June 26th, CMS issued a proposed rule that proposes to update payment rates and policies and includes requests for information under the end-stage renal disease (ESRD) Prospective Payment System (PPS) for renal dialysis services furnished to Medicare beneficiaries on or after January 1, 2024. For calendar year 2024, CMS is proposing to increase the ESRD PPS base rate to $269.99, increasing total payments to ESRD facilities by approximately 1.6 percent totaling $6.4 billion. The CY 2024 ESRD PPS proposed rule also includes several proposals and requests for information related to ESRD PPS payment policies. This rule also proposes an update to the Acute Kidney Injury dialysis payment rate for renal dialysis services furnished by ESRD...

"Indicators of Healthy Aging: A Guide to Explore Healthy Aging Data through Community Health Improvement" is a resource developed by Trust for America's Health (TFAH) and the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) with funding from The John A. Hartford Foundation. This resource aims to support age-friendly public health systems by providing a comprehensive set of healthy aging indicators. The guide complements NACCHO's Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships (MAPP) framework, offering valuable insights for health departments and community partners in measuring population-level health disparities and informing strategic planning...

The Aging and Disability Business Institute, in collaboration with the Partnership to Align Social Care and the Camden Coalition, has released a new resource guide that emphasizes the importance of addressing health-related social needs (HRSN) and details the benefits of partnering with community-based organizations (CBOs) and community care networks for health plans. This comprehensive guide outlines how CBOs serve as powerful innovation partners, foster trust with members, offer a significant return on investment, provide greater efficiency in coverage through community care networks, and contribute to securing public contracts. This resource serves as a practical tool for health plans looking to establish meaningful collaborations with..

Millions of older adults in the United States classify as sexual and gender minority (SGM). The Aging with Pride initiative is a National Health, Aging, and Sexuality/Gender Study which is funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), involving more than 2,400 older adults ranging in age from 50 to more than 100 years old. SGM adults experience prejudice, bias, or discrimination which can be a significant source of stress. These negative life exposures can also affect aging and health and contribute to health disparities in SGM adults. Ultimately, the goal of this Aging in Pride study is to better understand the health, aging, and well-being of SGM adults in midlife and older age.