Affordable Care Act (ACA)

On Friday, April 26, 2024 the HHS Office of for Civil Rights (OCR) finalized a rule to advance health equity and reduce disparities in health care. The Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Final Rule strengthens nondiscrimination protections under Section 1557 for any health program that receives HHS funding. The unpublished version of the rule is available online and the rule will be formally published in the Federal Register on May 6, 2024.

Starting on Wednesday, January 26, CMS began posting new information on the Care Compare website to help consumers better understand staffing levels and concerns at nursing home facilities that can influence the quality of care being provided to residents. Information on staff turnover and weekend staff will be posted for each facility.

US Senator Bob Casey (ranking member, Special Committee on Aging) has released a new report on how COVID-19 has exacerbated the challenges facing older Americans. The report outlines a blueprint for addressing the problems older adults face and highlights the services necessary to ensure Americans can age with dignity. This report contains policy recommendations that address three main areas: health care, economic security, and social supports.

This report highlights results from a 50-state GAO survey on what challenges states are experiencing related to federal Medicaid regulations. As part of the survey, GAO conducted interviews with state Medicaid officials to identify the areas of greatest concern. This report identifies four program areas that were rated as significant or moderate challenges to effective program administration. GAO also discusses potential federal actions to address these challenges

The Congressional Research Service has published an updated report on The Elder Justice Act. The report provides background on the legislation, breaks down the provisions in the Act, lays out different funding mechanisms, and highlights pertinent issues for Congress to consider.

This brief includes the latest (FY 2018) Medicaid HCBS enrollment and spending data from KFF’s 18th annual 50-state survey. It contains data about per-enrollee spending on HCBS by target population and HCBS waiver waiting lists. This issue brief also includes tables with detailed state-level data. One key finding analyzed here is that most HCBS enrollees receive services provided at the state option.

This updated annual report examines spending in the functional areas of state budgets and includes fiscal 2017-2019 data. The report looks at spending in the areas of elementary and secondary education, higher education, public assistance, Medicaid, corrections, transportation, and all other. It includes state-by-state breakdowns, highlights data on capital expenditures by program area, and reviews revenue sources.

CMCS has released the FFY 2018 Adult Core Set data. This data set provides information on 23 adult measures voluntarily reported by states. Recently released publications include an overview of 2018 findings, a core set chart pack, a summary of performance on measures, and the 2018 quality measures dataset.

Section 1332 State Innovation Waivers can help improve the health insurance market and lower premiums for consumers, including older adults, but can also cause harm if used the wrong way. This guide provides background on State Innovation Waivers and highlights five key steps that states should take to understand and evaluate the impact of these waivers on older adults.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released their monthly report for November 2018 on Medicaid and CHIP application, eligibility determination, and enrollment data. This report includes point-in-time data from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, including the number of applications submitted directly to Medicaid and CHIP agencies, the number of eligibility determinations made on these applications, and the total number of individuals enrolled in the Medicaid and CHIP programs.