Reports

National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services (NASDDDS) released a joint white paper with the Institute on Community Integration at UMN and the Human Services Research Institute providing data on and suggested policy remedies for the direct support workforce crisis.

In February 2022, ODEP and its LEAD Center convened national experts to discuss potential policy solutions for supporting Direct Support Professionals (DSPs). This report outlines recommendations across four areas: DSP Career Pathways and Training; Professionalization of DSPs as a Distinct Occupation; Enhancing Wages and Benefits; and DSPs as a Career Path for People with Disabilities.

In this report, GAO explores the four agencies that oversee federal falls prevention programs, including the Administration on Community Living (ACL), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Department of Veterans Affairs. GAO found that these programs serve limited numbers of individuals at risk of falls, including adults with disabilities under age 60. GAO's analysis of national data on self-reported falls from 2020 found that adults with disabilities aged 45 to 59 reported rates of falls and fall-related injuries that were higher than those reported by individuals 60 and over.

On July 19, 2022 MedPAC released its July 2022 Data Book on Health Care Spending and the Medicare Program. This publication provides data on Medicare spending, demographics of the Medicare population, beneficiaries’ access to care, and Medicare program quality. Section 4 (pages 31-38) covers dually eligible individuals and includes information on the percentage of Medicare spending for this population, demographic data, health status, and service use. Within this section, states may be specifically interested in Chart 4-4: Demographic differences between dual-eligible beneficiaries and non-dual-eligible beneficiaries, 2019.

This KFF issue brief describes the anticipated enrollment changes in pathways based on old age or disability (“non-MAGI”) after the Public Health Emergency (PHE) ends, state enrollment and renewal policies for non-MAGI groups as of January 1, 2022, and state plans for resuming normal operations when the PHE ends.

When states use a Medicaid managed care delivery system, the contracted managed care organizations (MCOs) generally determine provider payment rates. However, in certain circumstances states may direct payments to providers through the MCOs in accordance with state-set criteria. In this report, GAO describes (1) the use of state directed payments in Medicaid, and (2) CMS's changes to guidance and oversight of these payments.

JAMA researchers found lower service use and lower Medicaid spending among the Black population for both during a review of health care spending statistics between White and Black Medicaid enrollees. Medicaid beneficiaries make up a diverse population, yet existing disparities persist. To explore differences in Medicaid spending between Black and White populations, researchers conducted a cross-sectional study using data from three states in 2016. Researchers used data from 1,966,689 enrollees in the study, including both adults and children. Of this population, 867,183 identified as non-Hispanic Black, and 1,099,506 identified as non-Hispanic White.

MACPAC has released its June 2022 Report to Congress on Medicaid and CHIP. The report recommends measures that Congress can take to better monitor access to care for Medicaid beneficiaries, improve the oversight and transparency of managed care directed payments, increase access to vaccines for adults enrolled in Medicaid, encourage the uptake of health information technology in behavioral health, and better integrate care for Medicaid and Medicare dual-eligibles. The commission also offers policy levers that states and the federal government can use to promote equity in Medicaid.

The 10th edition of the Senior Report examines 62 measures from 21 unique sources to provide a comprehensive look at the health and well-being of older Americans. The data demonstrate: Trends that reflect the changing health of our nation’s 65 and older population over the past decade. The impact that social, economic, environmental and other factors have on the health of older Americans. Disparities in health among older Americans by geography, education level, income level, gender, age and race and ethnicity.

This report from CMS presents information on disparities in health care received by people using Medicare Advantage. The report looks at differences in quality of care based on race and ethnicity and sex as well as the intersections of race/ethnicity and sex. CMS uses data from the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems and the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set in this report.