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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have issued a notice that the deadline for applying to participate in the Making Care Primary (MCP) Model is next week. The MCP application is non-binding and should take no more than 15 minutes to complete. Eligibility requirements and additional model details can be found in the Request for Applications (RFA). To support interested applicants in their decision-making, CMS has published an Example Revenue Factsheet which compares potential revenue under Medicare fee-for-service to potential revenue under MCP. Please visit the model webpage for additional resources.

Building on interviews with more than 70 stakeholders, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OCED) has released a report exploring the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on employment opportunities for people with disabilities in the labor market. The report highlights the potentially transformative effects of AI in the labor market by outlining 142 AI-powered solutions tailored to assist people with disabilities. However, the report also examines the risks for people with disability posed by the increasing adoption of AI in the labor market and in society at large. The report outlines various governmental strategies aimed at mitigating the potential risks associated with the implementation of AI...

National Consumer Voice and the National Ombudsman Resource Center (NORC) have released materials from their recent webinar titled "Resources for Supporting Nursing Facility Residents with Mental and/or Behavioral Health Needs." The webinar addressed the growing population of people with mental and/or behavioral health needs living in long-term care facilities and discussed the challenges these facilities encounter in delivering personalized care. Specifically, the discussion centered on the Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health in Nursing Facilities (COE-NF), a new free resource established by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in September 2022

On January 31, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the latest enrollment figures for Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP. As of October 2023, over 66.6 million people are enrolled in Medicare; more than 34 million are enrolled in fee-for-service Medicare, and close to 32.6 million are enrolled in Medicare Advantage or other health plans. Over 87.2 million enrollees have Medicaid and CHIP. More than 80.2 million individuals have Medicaid and over 7 million have coverage through CHIP. Over 12 million individuals are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid and are counted in the enrollment figures for both programs.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released a report detailing their efforts to address health care disparities faced by individuals living in rural, tribal, and geographically isolated communities. This report outlines CMS’ six key priorities for advancing health equity in these communities: (1) applying a community-informed geographic lens to CMS programs and policies, (2) increasing the collection and use of standardized data to improve health care, (3) strengthening and supporting Health Care Professionals, (4) optimizing medical and communication technology, and (6) driving innovation and value-based care....

The National Council on Disability (NCD) recently released its 2023 Progress Report titled “Toward Economic Security: The Impact of Income and Asset Limits on People with Disabilities.” This report examines the implications of asset limits in government-sponsored social safety net programs on the economic self-sufficiency and financial independence of people with disabilities. The report focuses on four critical areas of public policy: health care, cash benefits provided through Supplemental Security Income (SSI), employment, and asset building and wealth protection. It also offers findings and recommendations for the Administration, Congress, and states in the areas of health, employment, asset building, and wealth protection...

The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Office of Disability Integration and Coordination (ODIC) recently celebrated International Day of Persons with Disabilities by releasing a new version of their training course titled “Including People with Disabilities in Disaster Operations.” This course replaces the previous version of IS:368 released in 2012. The course is designed for all personnel involved in disaster operations. It provides an introductory overview of information and strategies on how to include people with disabilities during mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery efforts....

The Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) recently released an updated guidance memorandum, supported by a 2021 supplemental grant from the Administration for Community Living (ACL). This updated publication offers insights for the Aging Network on delivering Person-Centered, Trauma-Informed (PCTI) care to Holocaust survivors, older adults with trauma histories, and their family caregivers. This publication is an updated and expanded version of the guidance memorandum published by the ACL in 2017.

Applied Self-Direction recently published a paper that aims to provide insights on the self-direction workforce from key stakeholders. With the support of Elevance Health, Applied Self-Direction held an Executive Roundtable Series with experts to discuss pertinent themes and issues. They then conducted a national survey of people who self-direct, representatives, and direct care workers to understand their experiences and ideas for addressing workforce challenges. This paper synthesizes the roundtable discussions and survey results to inform further research and dialogue on supporting the unique needs of the self-direction workforce. The white paper also includes stakeholders’ recommendations for policies and practices...

The Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) has released a fact sheet detailing the challenges faced by LGBTQ+ caregivers when navigating health and human services systems. The fact sheet offers policy recommendations centered on inclusive language, intersectional approaches, comprehensive data collection regarding sexual orientation and gender identity, and strategies to address ageism, ableism, homophobia, and transphobia in caregiving settings. The fact sheet also emphasizes the need for stakeholders to collaborate with community leaders in order to better understand the needs, barriers, and existing strengths of LGBTQ+ caregivers.