All States/Territories

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released their monthly report for June 2016 on Medicaid and CHIP application, eligibility determination, and enrollment data. States provide data to CMS on factors related to key application, eligibility and enrollment processes using the Medicaid and CHIP Performance Indicator Project. The data is then used to inform CMS on the operations of the programs in each state and to share state performance data publicly.

On Friday, August 19, 2016, the U.S. Departments of Education and Labor published the final rules implementing the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) in the Federal Register. WIOA legislation is designed to strengthen and improve the public workforce system and help Americans, including youth and those with significant barriers to employment, move into high-quality jobs and careers as well as help employers hire and retain skilled workers.

ADAPTED PACE is an operational framework for a comprehensive, capitated, and community-based service model. Consideration of testing the expansion and adaptation of the PACE (the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) model (ADAPTED PACE) to serve new populations was recently made possible by the PACE Innovation Act which granted waiver authority to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for this purpose.

The Family Support Research and Training Center (FSRTC) published a report that identifies indicators to monitor, track, and evaluate family support services: demographics of the caregiving situation, the impact on families, and indicators to assess family support at the state level. It also details recommendations for improvements to national and state datasets. The recommendations are intended to aid researchers and policymakers in improving family support services nationwide.

The National Governors Association (NGA) Center for Best Practices Health Division released a new guide, “The Future of Medicaid Transformation: A Practical Guide for States.” The guide provides a framework for how states can design statewide Medicaid transformation proposals, and is based on the NGA policy academy attended by three states that initially pursued Section 1115 waivers (Alabama, Nevada, and Washington).

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released their monthly report for May 2016 on Medicaid and CHIP application, eligibility determination, and enrollment data. States provides data to CMS on factors related to key application, eligibility and enrollment processes using the Medicaid and CHIP Performance Indicator Project. The data is then used to inform CMS on the operations of the programs in each state and to share state performance data publicly.

The Milbank Memorial Fund’s Reforming States Group, with the New York State Health Foundation, published an issue brief that is a practical guide for policymakers who want to know when and how states can use Medicaid to facilitate access to social services. It offers a road map of the legal authorities upon which policymakers can rely to extend Medicaid coverage to social interventions and provides examples of how Medicaid can be an important component in improving the health of populations.

The Technical Assistance Collaborative, Inc. (TAC) released a new update to their guidebook, “Section 8 Made Simple - Special Edition: Using the Housing Choice Voucher Program to End Chronic Homelessness,” with support of the Melville Charitable Trust. The guidebook explains how to use fair housing law and federal guidance to make the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program accessible to people with disabilities, and adds a new focus on helping those who are experiencing chronic homelessness.

Justice in Aging published three new fact sheets in collaboration with SAGE, SHIP National Network, and ACL. The new fact sheets are designed to help LGBT consumers learn how recent changes in Medicare and Medicaid may affect them. The Supreme Court’s legalization of same sex marriage changed how both programs evaluate the eligibility of same sex spouses. Additionally, Medicare is covering Gender Reassignment Surgery and issued new rules that protect transgender older adults from discrimination.

On Friday, July 15, 2016, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published an informational bulletin to provide an update on the next steps for the annual redetermination of Medicare Part D low-income subsidy (LIS) deemed status, also known as “re-deeming.” The information provided is aimed to help states understand the process and their role in ensuring that dual eligible beneficiaries have timely, affordable, and comprehensive coverage under Medicare Part D.