Policy alerts, briefs, letters & papers

The Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) is ready to provide you with the information you need to PROTECT yourself from Medicare fraud, errors, and abuse; DETECT potential fraud, errors, and abuse; and REPORT your concerns. SMPs help educate and empower Medicare beneficiaries in the fight against health care fraud. Your SMP can help you with your questions, concerns, or complaints about potential fraud and abuse issues. It also provides information and educational presentations.

This document provides guidance to state policymakers on developing more inclusive telework policies and programs. It includes an overview of workplace protections under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) pertaining to telework; details the components of state telework programs; and indicates how each component can be modified to better accommodate all employees. This brief also offers best practices states are using to advance inclusion in their telework programs.

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is approving Nebraska’s fourth submission to amend the following 1915(c) Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waivers with the Emergency Preparedness and Response Appendix K in order to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The amendments that the state has requested in the Appendix Ks are additive to those previously approved and are effective from March 6, 2020 through March 5, 2021.

COVID-19 has led to immeasurable repercussions in healthcare systems across the nation and world. The one issue common to all professional direct care workers was the limited availability of personal protective equipment. This policy brief focuses on DCW and challenges they faced, and continue to face, in adequately protecting themselves and others from the transmission and infection of this deadly virus.

APS TARC recently released an issue brief to address approaches and benefits to quality assurance (QA) as well as considerations in developing a QA program. The brief describes the QA process for documentation, supervisor review and approval, case reading, performance management, and program evaluation. Additionally, the brief provides explanations in who to include in establishing a QA process, why it is important to conduct a QA process, what should be reviewed, and other questions.

ATI Advisory released extensive data analysis of Medicare claims data to highlight the disparate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on individuals eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid (dual eligibles).The analysis also offers policy pathways for states to improve integrated care for this vulnerable population.

The Commission on Law and Aging of the American Bar Association recently released a briefing paper discussing project findings and conclusions about Working Interdisciplinary Networks of Guardianship Stakeholders (WINGS). This briefing paper describes challenges of adult guardianship reform and the rationale for establishing WINGS, discusses the potential for applying a nation Court Improvement Program model to the adult guardianship system, and provides federal policy recommendations.

This guide highlights the benefits and opportunities available for CBOs interested in providing services under Medicare FFS. It describes important considerations including billing and filing processes, culture change, and regulatory compliance. The guide also reviews how to enroll as a Medicare provider and outlines which services CBOs can offer.

This issue brief explores adjustments that states have made to processing eligibility and enrollment for benefits access, including changes to application and supporting document requirements. Examples of opportunities and adjustments that states have made to ensure older adults and persons with disabilities have access to critical benefit programs during the pandemic are highlighted. Data and findings are drawn from the ADvancing States 2020 COVID-19 Membership Survey.

This compendium includes select information on waiver capacity and waiting list management. The compendium highlights over 200 approved Section 1915(c) and Section 1115 waivers across all 50 states and DC. As an accompaniment to this compendium, MACPAC has also released an issue brief. This issue brief includes a description of the waiver analysis conducted in the compendium. It also features information from stakeholder interviews.