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The National Institute on Aging (NIA) has created a series of caregiver worksheets designed to assist in organizing and managing caregiving responsibilities effectively. These worksheets cover a range of topics, including coordinating caregiving tasks, ensuring home safety, hiring care providers, considering the option of moving an older adult into one's home, managing medications, and organizing important documents. Caregivers can download and utilize these worksheets to streamline their caregiving efforts and maintain essential information in an organized manner.

CMS issued a proposed procedural notice on June 22nd that describes a new Medicare coverage pathway to achieve more timely and predictable access to new medical technologies for people with Medicare. The new Transitional Coverage for Emerging Technologies (TCET) pathway for Breakthrough Devices uses current national coverage determination and coverage with evidence development processes to expedite Medicare coverage of certain Breakthrough Devices. The TCET pathway is intended to balance multiple considerations when making coverage determinations: (1) facilitating early, predictable, and safe beneficiary access to new technologies; (2) reducing manufacturers’ and innovators’ uncertainty about coverage...

On June 27th, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released guidance to states, outlining new mandatory coverage requirements for approved adult vaccines recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and their administration, without cost sharing. Starting from October 1, 2023, as mandated by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) must provide coverage and payment for these services. The guidance also specifies the requirements for states to claim a one percentage point increase in the federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) for these services.

On Tuesday, June 29, CMS released the latest enrollment figures for Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP. As of March 2023, over 65.7 million people are enrolled in Medicare; nearly 34 million are enrolled in fee-for-service Medicare and more than 31.7 have a Medicare Advantage plan. Over 93.8 million enrollees have Medicaid and CHIP; more than 86.7 million individuals have Medicaid and more than 7.1 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.

On June 22nd, The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released details describing how Medicare beneficiaries can obtain Medicare-covered drugs that may slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Medicare will cover drugs with traditional FDA approval when a physician and clinical team participates in the collection of evidence about how these drugs work, also known as a registry. To get Medicare coverage people will need to 1) be enrolled in Medicare, 2) be diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment or mild Alzheimer’s disease dementia, and 3) have a physician participating in a registry with an appropriate clinical team and follow-up care...

On June 26th, CMS issued a proposed rule that proposes to update payment rates and policies and includes requests for information under the end-stage renal disease (ESRD) Prospective Payment System (PPS) for renal dialysis services furnished to Medicare beneficiaries on or after January 1, 2024. For calendar year 2024, CMS is proposing to increase the ESRD PPS base rate to $269.99, increasing total payments to ESRD facilities by approximately 1.6 percent totaling $6.4 billion. The CY 2024 ESRD PPS proposed rule also includes several proposals and requests for information related to ESRD PPS payment policies. This rule also proposes an update to the Acute Kidney Injury dialysis payment rate for renal dialysis services furnished by ESRD...

"Indicators of Healthy Aging: A Guide to Explore Healthy Aging Data through Community Health Improvement" is a resource developed by Trust for America's Health (TFAH) and the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) with funding from The John A. Hartford Foundation. This resource aims to support age-friendly public health systems by providing a comprehensive set of healthy aging indicators. The guide complements NACCHO's Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships (MAPP) framework, offering valuable insights for health departments and community partners in measuring population-level health disparities and informing strategic planning...

On June 15th, MedPAC released its June 2023 “Report to the Congress: Medicare and the Health Care Delivery System”. Each June, as part of its mandate from the Congress, MedPAC reports on issues affecting the Medicare program as well as broader changes in health care delivery and the market for health care services. The report includes ten chapters. Examples of information addressed in the report includes the following: High prices of drugs and biologics covered under Medicare Part B. Due to an increase in Medicare Part B drug spending between 2009 and 2021, the Commission recommends three policies designed to improve Medicare's Part B drug payment system and reduce spending growth for Part B drugs....

The Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) released an updated version of their "Medicaid Enrollment and Unwinding Tracker" on June 20th. This tracker provides state-level data on Medicaid/CHIP enrollment, unwinding, renewals, and other measures. Please note that while the tool includes national data reported by CMS, it has a lag of several months and may not reflect the most current Medicaid enrollment status.

The Aging and Disability Business Institute, in collaboration with the Partnership to Align Social Care and the Camden Coalition, has released a new resource guide that emphasizes the importance of addressing health-related social needs (HRSN) and details the benefits of partnering with community-based organizations (CBOs) and community care networks for health plans. This comprehensive guide outlines how CBOs serve as powerful innovation partners, foster trust with members, offer a significant return on investment, provide greater efficiency in coverage through community care networks, and contribute to securing public contracts. This resource serves as a practical tool for health plans looking to establish meaningful collaborations with..