Alabama

This report is designed to offer the collective wisdom and practical insights of state officials and technical experts related to the leadership and interagency coordination needed to implement the Affordable Care Act (ACA). It discusses the role of leadership and a clear vision for reform, and outlines specific strategies being used by states from low-tech solutions to higher-tech tools. This brief then explores the potential of work planning and formal memorandums of understanding (MOUs).

This document lays out the State of Alabama’s plan on aging in accordance to Older Americans Act requirements. The plan describes the mission and strategies of the Alabama Department of Senior Services (ADSS) and how it plans to coordinate supportive services given funding restrictions. The FY11-12 plan has its goals promoting independence for its aging population and enabling seniors to remain in their homes via home and community-based services.

This report serves as a follow-up to the 1995 Institute on Medicine (IOM) report which argued for an ombudsman program to address the quality of care in long-term institutional settings. This study investigates the role and effectiveness of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Programs (LTCOPs) in improving care. Surveys with all states/territories reveal new findings on the structure of the program in different states as well as their own perceived effectiveness. Comprehensive data and analysis.

The Older Americans Act of 1965 created the National Aging Network with many states adopting Area Agencies on Aging at the local level. This brief is a summary of two surveys regarding states’ monitoring practices of their Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) and states’ spending rules for their AAAs. All states with Area Agencies on Aging which were surveyed reported that they conduct some monitoring, and most differed in their rules concerning excess funds.

CDC introduces an online interactive system that quickly helps translate state-level, disability-specific data into valuable public health information. With Disability & Health Data System (DHDS), users can customize how they view disability & health data throughout the country, making it easy to understand health disparity information, identify trends, & help support the development of fiscally-responsible, evidence-based programs, services and policies that include people with disabilities.

PayingForSeniorCare.com website and the Eldercare Financial Resource Locator Tool were created and maintained by the American Elder Care Research Organization. The mission is to assist individuals in the planning and implementing of long-term senior care. The website is designed to help families and caregivers locate information about long-term care resources for their loved ones, and to find the public and private programs available to assist in covering the cost of such care.

This brief explains how Medicare beneficiaries become eligible for Medicaid, provides national & state-by-state data on enrollment, & examines national & state-specific data on Medicaid spending for dual-eligible beneficiaries by service & eligibility group. The Foundation also has a collection of resources on dual-eligible beneficiaries, including basic facts & data, and analysis & explanation of specific issues, which include provisions of health reform affecting dual-eligible beneficiaries.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is currently working with states to design and implement new models for integrating the benefits and financing of both programs. This website is designed as a resource for advocates, providing resources, background information and, most importantly, in the Advocate Tools section, concrete recommendations that advocates need to engage constructively with their states to ensure that new models improve care for dual eligibles.

This portion of the Center for PAS website presents various data and resources related to Personal Assistance Services by state. Recent updates include two sets of information concerning Medicaid home-and community-based services (HCBS). Users can select a state or select a specific topic such as state statistics, program data, and other PAS projects.

Autism spectrum disorders are among the fastest-growing developmental disability diagnosis in the US. This growing number highlights the need to learn more about the services & supports that are currently available for adults with ASD, & consider those that will be needed throughout their adult lifespan. The purpose of the study was to investigate how people with ASD are being served across states in HCBS, including service eligibility, state trends specific to autism services & lessons learned.