The Commonwealth Fund

AARP has released its fourth iteration of the Long-term Services and Supports Scorecard. This scorecard ranks states and DC in order from 1 to 51 on a wide range of issues pertaining to older adults and people with disabilities. The LTSS scorecard has five domains that states are ranked within, and each of those domains has multiple indicators that are used to derive the overall score.

This issue brief analyzes COVID-19 related legislative, regulatory, and subregulatory changes to Medicare from January 1, 2020 to July 24, 2020. The brief groups these regulatory changes into nine themes and examines questions regarding the policy changes moving forward. The brief is accompanied by a policy tracker that categorizes all 212 changes based on factors including types of providers and plans affected, effective date, and expected duration.

This study analyzes the financial burden experienced by people who require long-term services and supports. The study analyzes medical and LTSS spending among older Medicare beneficiaries, particularly the costs of assistive devices and personal care. The results show that for medical services covered by Medicare, beneficiaries with a high need for long-term services spend more than $2,700 a year out of pocket on average, twice as high as those without such need.

This report from AARP's Public Policy Institute is part of a series of papers focusing on innovative strategies. It explores the benefits of self-directed care and looks at best practices used in Texas, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Florida. The report also provides a toolkit for educational and training purposes to help states improve and expand upon their self-directed LTSS programs.

This brief analyzes fifteen structured interviews conducted with leadership staff in states using state-based health insurance marketplaces. It explores the different actions these states may utilize to stabilize the marketplace and reduce consumer confusion in the face of uncertainty regarding federal policies.

In order to better address health-related social needs, communities across the country have been experimenting with programs to connect health care providers with community-based organizations (CBOs) that address social needs, such as housing, food insecurity, and assistance with utilities and transportation.This brief from the Commonwealth Fund surveys the landscape of these programs, highlights common challenges, and proposes solutions.

This report provides a multidimensional look at state performance for the delivery of long-term services and supports (LTSS), based on a uniform set of performance measures and how performance has changed over time. It also includes the role that housing and transportation play in assisting older adults, people with physical disabilities and their family caregivers, as well as promising practices and emerging innovations to foster greater information exchange.

This paper provides concrete examples of how seven No Wrong Door Systems are promoting person- and family-centered practice. This resource includes a toolkit of resources and contacts for states to learn more and replicate these practices. A checklist also provides a roadmap for states to ensure that No Wrong Door Systems operate in a person- and family-centered way.

This Health Affairs article presents key findings from The Commonwealth Fund's 2014 International Health Policy Survey. The survey compared the views and experiences of people 65 and older on issues of health and health care use, health care costs and access, care coordination, end-of-life planning, and more. The survey was conducted in 11 countries: Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.