Policy alerts, briefs, letters & papers

Blog post about culture change in aging and disability community-based organizations (CBOs).

This issue brief from the Administration for Community Living describes the nutritional quality of congregate and home-delivered meals offered through the Nutrition Services Program and examines their compliance with the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The brief also discusses how the Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2010 was used to assess the nutritional quality of the congregate and home-delivered meals.

This letter from CMS is about how they will offer additional flexibilities to help states improve access to and quality of substance use disorder treatment through Medicaid 1115 demonstrations. CMS’s main goal is to support state initiatives to improve access to treatment by requiring less upfront administrative process barriers for approvals of state initiatives to improve access to treatment by requiring less upfront administrative process barriers for approvals of state initiatives.

This fact sheet outlines strategies to help Medicaid stakeholders encourage partnerships between community-based organizations and health care organizations. States can provide: (1) financial support to build and sustain program capacity; (2) assistance in identifying metrics for evaluation; (3) incentives to providers to address social determinants of health; and (4) use of policy levers, including value-based contracts, managed care organization regulations, and state plan amendments.

The brief includes information on disparities in health and disability; innovative approaches that Native communities have used to address identified disparities; how Native communities have used the Older Americans Act and other federal programs that aim to promote health and support community living for Elders; and aspects of successful programs for Native people.

This issue brief from the Kaiser Family Foundation discusses four key issues related to long-term services and supports (LTSS), including institutional and home and community-based services (HCBS) quality, highlighting major legislative and policy changes over the last 30 years. The brief also includes data about LTSS providers and consumers, summarizes key federal laws and policies related to quality, and lists selected federal quality measures.

The purpose of these briefs is to share information for both service providers and policymakers on: Why dementia is such an important issue for the AAPI community; Barriers to dementia detection, treatment, and support for the AAPI community; Recent findings from a research study to test culturally appropriate messages to improve early identification of dementia by engaging adult children and their families; and Recommendations and resources for better reaching the AAPI community.

This brief from the SCAN Foundation summarizes lessons learned and offers recommendations for improving integrated systems of care for people with Medicare and Medicaid, also known as dually eligible individuals. The brief draws from three years of California’s Cal MediConnect evaluation results.

This brief from the Integrated Care Resource Center discusses opportunities for Medicaid agencies to partner with State Health Insurance Programs (SHIPs). Every state has a SHIP that is responsible for providing counseling and assistance for people with Medicare and their families. This brief highlights approaches used by Arizona, Massachusetts, and Texas, where SHIPs and Medicaid agencies have worked together to educate Medicare-Medicaid enrollees on new care delivery options.

AARP has released an update from their Public Policy Livable Communities division, which explains that communities need to encourage more accessible homes for older adults and their families by requiring that single family homes meet visitability requirements with features such as having an entrance without steps, kitchen counters set at multiple heights, and half-bathrooms at the ground level.