Announcement/Press release

The Acting Assistant Secretary for Aging and Administrator of ACL is seeking information on recommended changes, additions, or deletions to Code of Federal Regulation's section on Grants to State and Community Programs on Aging; Grants to Indian Tribes for Support and Nutrition Services; Grants for Supportive and Nutritional Services to Older Hawaiian Natives; and Allotments for Vulnerable Elder Rights Protection Activities, including Subpart A—State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program. Information must be submitted electronically on June 6, 2022 by 11:59 p.m. ET. All are encouraged to submit electronic comments to: Administration on Aging, OAAregulations@acl.hhs.gov. Include “OAA Regulations” in the subject line of the message.

CMS has released a new proposed rule with several provisions related to dual eligible individuals and would impact states. The proposed rule includes provisions to: Limit retroactive Medicare Part B premium liability for states to 36 months, Retire the old stand-alone buy-in agreements and specify that the provisions of a state buy-in agreement shall be set forth in the state’s Medicaid state plan, Extend the Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs) to cover premiums and cost sharing for individuals enrolling in the new Medicare immunosuppressive drug benefit. CMS is currently requesting comments on the proposed rule.

On April 14, 2022 the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture released the proposed scientific questions that will inform the development of the 2025-2030 DGAs. They are requesting public input on the proposed questions and will accept written comments from the public until Monday, May 16, 2022 .

On Wednesday, April 13, 2022, The administration renewed the COVID-19 public health emergency, just before the initial April 16 expiration date. This will extend pandemic policies and flexibilities that have made it easier for millions of Americans to access health insurance coverage under Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program, access telehealth services, and sign up for health insurance. CMS released guidance giving states 12 months to redetermine eligibility for Medicaid and CHIP, and Congress extended telehealth coverage of Medicare for five months after the emergency ends in the fiscal 2022 omnibus spending bill.

The AHCCCS Administration is publishing preliminary decisions for Differential Adjusted Payments (DAP) strategies to be implemented in the contracting year 2022 for select AHCCCS-registered Arizona providers, which meet agency established performance criteria. This preliminary public notice also addresses future DAP reimbursement strategies that may be considered for implementation in CYE 2023 and thereafter. DAP rates are proposed to be implemented to assure that payments are consistent with efficiency, economy, and quality of care and are sufficient to enlist enough providers so that care and services are available at least to the extent that such care and services are available to the general public in the geographic area.

The Aging and Disability Business Institute is now accepting nominations for the The John A. Hartford Foundation 2022 Business Innovation Award. Each year, this award recognizes community-based organizations (CBOs) that have created innovative solutions to improving the well-being of older adults and people with disabilities through strategic partnerships with health care entities. The Institute is looking for nominations of CBOs that have contracts with health care entities related to advance care planning, caregiving, COVID-19 response, dementia care, and those that address health equity.

The Biden-Harris Administration has announced that more than 59 million Americans with Medicare Part B, including those enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, now have access to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved, authorized, or cleared over-the-counter COVID-19 tests at no cost. People with Medicare can get up to eight tests per month from participating pharmacies and health care providers for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic.

CMS has announced it will offer more than $110 million to expand access to home and community-based services (HCBS) through Medicaid’s Money Follows the Person (MFP) program. The new Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) makes individual awards of up to $5 million available for more than 20 states and territories not currently participating in MFP. These funds will support initial planning and implementation to get the state/territory programs off the ground, which would ensure more people with Medicaid can receive high-quality, cost-effective, person-centered services in a setting they choose.

In this blog post, Jill Jacobs, Commissioner on Disabilities at ACL, reflects on Developmental Disabilites (DD) Awareness month by highlighting recent innovations in ACL's DD programs, and the Administration on Disabilities (AOD) goals for the year ahead. AOD's upcoming priorities include continuing to address the DSP workforce crisis, investing in projects to advance equity and reach people with disabilities at the intersections of identity, and continuing to support individuals with both DD and mental health diagnoses. The blog post also shares experiences with disability that the new Commissioner brings to her role.

The DOT announced that it is publishing a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that would improve the accessibility of lavatories for people with disabilities traveling on new single-aisle aircraft. DOT encourages members of the public and interested parties to submit comments on the NRPM. Comments are due by Friday, May 27, 2022.