Assistive Technology

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated the resource, Viral Respiratory Pathogens Toolkit for Nursing Homes. This toolkit helps nursing home infection preventionists and leadership prepare for and respond to nursing home residents or health care personnel who develop signs or symptoms of a respiratory viral infection. The CDC has extensively updated the resources section, including links to information on this season’s vaccine recommendations, testing and treatment, billing and payment, and infection prevention and control. While the toolkit is tailored toward nursing homes, the resources and many of the listed actions could be adapted for use in other long-term care settings.

On December 14, leading healthcare providers and payers announced voluntary commitments on the safe, secure, and trustworthy use and purchase of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in health care. These voluntary commitments build on ongoing work by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the October 30th AI Executive Order, and earlier commitments that the White House received from 15 leading AI companies to develop models responsibly. Twenty-eight businesses signed the commitment, including Boston Children’s Hospital, CVS Health, Emory Healthcare, Geisinger, Houston Methodist, Mass General Brigham, Rush University System for Health, Tufts Medicine, and WellSpan Health....

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently introduced the Transitional Coverage for Emerging Technologies (TCET) pathway, a voluntary expedited Medicare coverage process for certain FDA-designated Breakthrough Devices. This new pathway aims to support innovation while ensuring faster and more consistent access to emerging medical technologies for Medicare beneficiaries. The TCET pathway offers manufacturers increased pre-market engagement with CMS and a high level of flexibility to address evidence gaps for coverage. This initiative seeks to develop reliable evidence for informed healthcare decision-making and to ensure high-quality care for Medicare beneficiaries.

Resources for Integrated Care (RIC) recently released a brief on telehealth, and its impact on dually eligible people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). As noted by RIC, people dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid, as well as people with I/DD, are diagnosed with multiple chronic conditions at higher rates than the general population and often face barriers with access to healthcare. Telehealth services have been increasing in popularity and usage and has the potential to positively impact people with I/DD. Health plans can utilize the information in the document to further their understanding of how telehealth modalities can improve access to person centered care for people with I/DD.

CMS recently released a proposed National Coverage Determination (NCD) decision that would, for the first time, expand coverage for power seat elevation equipment on certain power wheelchairs to Medicare individuals. The proposed NCD is open for public comment for 30 days and will end on March 17, 2023. If finalized, power seat elevation equipment would be covered by Medicare for individuals with a Group 3 power wheelchair, which are designed to meet the needs of people with Medicare with severe disabilities, to improve their health as they transfer from the wheelchair to other surfaces.

Technology Affinity Group

MN - Network and Education for Assistive Technology

Knox DD - Assistive Technology & Remote Supports

iLink Support Technologies delivers health and behavioral support, home security, in-home care, and emergency support to a customer’s home when it is needed.

COVID-19 is a long-lasting and complex disaster situation involving a public health emergency and an economic crisis, with particularly acute impacts for older adults, people with disabilities, and others with certain health conditions. States are responding with changes in policies and procedures to ensure individuals have access to public benefit programs (e.g. Medicare Savings Programs, LIS/Extra Help, SNAP, and LIHEAP). ADvancing States has a new brief highlighting where states are with benefit access and enrollment since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results in the brief comes from the 2021 ADvancing States Membership Survey: COVID-19 Benefits Access and Enrollment, a follow-up to the 2020 survey.