Policy alerts, briefs, letters & papers

The debate surrounding the deficit reduction and the debt ceiling for FY 2012 has many implications for aging and disability policies, especially Older Americans Act (OAA) services. This brief outlines the current negotiations and proposals put forth to reach a long-term, bipartisan budget reduction agreement, including the McConnell Plan; the McConnell-Reid Plan; the Gang of Six; the Coburn Plan; and the Senate Budget Resolution. The Congressional Appropriations process is also discussed.

Bowles and Simpson, the co-chairs of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform drafted their recommendations to achieve fiscal sustainability. This analysis provides an overview of the commission’s formation, its structure and recommendations, and its potential impact on the aging and disability networks. The report’s legislative recommendations have implications for Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS), and more.

This analysis of the President’s $3.73 trillion proposed budget for FY12 includes an outline of each funding recommendation for discretionary, appropriated programs. Included in the analysis is a comparison of HR1, the GOP-backed budget resolution that reduces spending via broad cuts, with the President’s proposed budget; a good indicator of what sorts of budgetary windows may be necessary for bipartisan support and how the budget may affect the fiscal health of aging and disabilities programs.

Governors’ State of the State addresses reveal policy and programmatic trends. This document tracks those comments made in such addresses that indicate wider policy initiatives that impact older adults and people with disabilities. A state-by-state analysis of 43 State addresses and budgets helps to illuminate overall trends in aging and disability policies, such as Medicaid changes and the restructuring of state departments and programs affecting long-term services and supports (LTSS).

The National Association of State Units on Aging (NASUA) is pleased to share a comprehensive set of recommendations for reform of the Older Americans Act (OAA) when it is reauthorized by the 109th Congress in 2005. NASUA believes that the forthcoming reauthorization of the Act provides an opportunity to modernize its structures, programs, and services to prepare to serve the next generation of older persons and their families.

State aging and disability agencies have operated within a tumultuous environment for the past several years. It has become increasingly more difficult to reconcile the needs of older adults and people with disabilities with the resources available to address those needs. Five themes are identified from the 2012 state of aging and disabilities surveys, which include the acceleration of Medicaid managed long term services and supports and continuing loss of historical knowledge around the nation.

This letter provides State Directors of State Units on Aging (SUAs) with information regarding the CMS decision to reduce Medicare skilled nursing facility (SNF) payments by 11.1% for FY 2012 (a reduction of $3.87 billion). The decision is supposed to create more efficiency in the Prospective Payment System (PPS). The memo describes the implications of such a decision coupled with frozen or reduced Medicaid payments to SNFs and Long Term Care Hospitals (LTCHs).

In 2009, television stations ceased to broadcast in analog and became digital. Adults over the age of 65 are more likely to have analog television sets and therefore are likely to require assistance into digital transition. This brief helps highlight some important facts about analog to digital transition, including options available to analog consumers and rebate and discount programs. This brief also identifies the different ways in which state governments have prepared to address this issue.

The findings from a fourth economic survey of the state units on aging conducted in May 09 revealed that despite the funding provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, 60% of states must reduce their agencies' budgets for FY10. While ARRA funding allowed states to maintain food and nutrition programs, over 20% of states indicated they will cut back services and programs include Older Americans Act, disability, Medicaid, and home- and community-based services and supports.

The recession continues to affect state programs for older individuals and adults with physical disabilities. Demand for publicly funded services has grown, and resources, including staff, are stretched thin, according to this new 50-state study. 31 states have cut non-Medicaid aging and disability services programs in FY 2010, and 28 states were expecting to cut these programs in FY 2011. Find the research report, brief, video and compiled State profiles.