Reports

On March 12, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a report describing best practices in implementing the Money Follows the Person (MFP) Demonstration. Since its authorization in the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-171), the MFP Demonstration has provided nearly $6 billion to 43 states and the District of Columbia to improve access to home and community-based services (HCBS) for Medicaid-eligible individuals and helped more than 107,128 long-term residents transition from institutions to the community. Developed in collaboration with states, providers, and MFP participants, this report identifies effective state strategies for implementing the key components of the MFP Demonstration...

The 26th annual Workers’ Compensation Report produced by the National Academy of Social Insurance provides the only comprehensive data on workers’ compensation benefits, coverage, and employer costs for the nation, the states, the District of Columbia, and federal programs. With a five-year study period spanning 2017-2021, this is the second annual report to cover the COVID-19 pandemic period, which permits an early understanding of the adaptation of workers’ compensation to the pandemic and general reversions to pre-pandemic trends. The report includes tables, figures, and appendices detailing outcomes related to workers’ compensation benefits, costs, and coverage.

The National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care (Consumer Voice) recently published a survey report on the impact of understaffing on nursing home residents in 2024. The findings highlight substantial challenges faced by residents, with 88% reporting they do not have adequate staffing in their facilities to meet the care needs of all residents. This report spotlights how understaffing can lead to daily struggles for residents, including delayed care, missed activities, and medication issues. The report underscores the pressing need to address staffing deficiencies to ensure quality, person-centered care in nursing homes.

Mathematica recently released a report investigating the connection between strong city data foundations and successful ARPA investments. It spotlights cities that received What Works Cities Certification, which has recognized 57 U.S. cities for robust data practices that make resident lives better. Established as a benchmark for well-managed, data-driven local government, the What Works Cities (WWC) Certification provides insights into how such practices may influence the effectiveness of ARPA investments....

AARP recently released a report titled “Respite Services: A Critical Support for Family Caregivers,” exploring respite, its impact on family caregivers, and barriers to its use. In this report, AARP reviews federal and state programs that provide and/or pay for respite, including some examples of innovative programs that currently exist in communities. AARP also provides recommendations toward improvements in respite research and offers insights into how some respite programs are being scaled up.

AARP recently released an analysis examining existing state pharmaceutical assistance programs (SPAPs) and their characteristics, highlighting how specific federal prescription drug reforms could generate savings for SPAPs. SPAPs are state-run programs that help pay prescription drug-related costs for certain populations with limited financial resources, including older adults. Today, 13 states operate a SPAP to help older adults afford their prescription drugs, down from 23 SPAPs in 2004. Prescription drug reforms enacted as part of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) that will be implemented over the next several years will affect SPAPs and could lead to savings for the programs. While none of the law’s provisions directly address SPAPs...

On January 31, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) released a report titled “Medicare Enrollees and the Part D Drug Benefit: Improving Financial Protection through the Low-Income Subsidy.” The report highlights findings from an analysis of Medicare data from 2020, including that the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) expanded financial assistance in Medicare’s Low-Income Subsidy (LIS) Program would have benefited nearly 461,000 Partial LIS enrollees had the provision been in effect in 2020. An additional 2.9 million Part D enrollees who were eligible but not enrolled in LIS would also have benefited from the program...

The Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, through its Housing an Aging Society Program, recently released its biannual report titled “Housing America’s Older Adults 2023.” The Housing an Aging Society Program aims to deepen understanding of the implications of aging populations and advance policy, planning, design, and public health solutions to address the housing needs of older adults. The 2023 report explores equitable access to affordable, accessible, safe, and connected housing. The report highlights a 34 percent increase in the US population aged 65 and over in the past decade, reaching 58 million in 2022...

ADvancing States and the ARPA HCBS TA Collective are pleased to announce the release of an issue brief examining states’ efforts to understand the impact of their home and community-based (HCBS) projects implemented with unprecedented new Federal investment under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). With such a massive investment in our nation’s largest HCBS delivery systems, it is critically important to distill learnings about which types of the states’ investments resulted in desired outcomes and which did not. Armed with such information, our state and national leaders will be better informed to establish policies when making future investments related to Medicaid HCBS.

The Milken Institute's latest report sheds light on a noteworthy demographic shift taking place in the United States. Projections suggest that by 2034, the population of older adults (aged 65 and above) will surpass that of individuals under 18. This shift is anticipated to lead to a significant rise in the older adult population, reaching 80 million by 2040, up from 55.7 million in 2020. Notably, the segment of the population aged 85 and older, requiring increased assistance, is expected to double by 2040. This demographic transformation poses challenges in providing appropriate and affordable housing and care options for older adults...