Reports

CMS posted two new reports with Medicaid LTSS expenditures data. The first report focuses on the most recent data available and recent trends such as 1) an increase in LTSS provided in managed care programs and 2) increased used of newer Medicaid LTSS options authorized in the Deficit Reduction Act and the Affordable Care Act. The second report, “Improving the Balance,” uses data from FY1981 through FY2014 and documents the transition of Medicaid LTSS from institutional services to HCBS.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has issued an Economic News Release on “Persons with a Disability: Labor Force Characteristics,” which shows, among other statistics, that the unemployment rate for people with disabilities fell to 10.7% in 2015 from 12.5% in 2014. The data on persons with a disability are collected as part of the Current Population Survey (CPS), a monthly sample survey of about 60,000 households that provides statistics on employment and unemployment in the United States.

The Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) published their report, “ACAP Medicare-Medicaid Plans and the Financial Alignment Demonstrations: Innovations and Lessons”, that was prepared for the Association for Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP). The report examines the experiences of 14 ACAP plans that are participating in capitated model demonstrations for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) Financial Alignment Initiative.

ADvancing States published a new report that offers data from the Long-Term Care Ombusdman Program organizational structure survey that was conducted in early 2015.

The National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO) released the Spring 2016 “Fiscal Survey of States” report. The report indicates that, for the first time, estimated state general fund spending and revenues in fiscal 2016 surpassed their fiscal 2008, pre-recession peak levels after adjusting for inflation. However, the progress has been uneven across states and long-term spending pressures remain in areas such as health care, education, pensions, and infrastructure.

The Medicare Board of Trustees issued the 2016 report to Congress on the financial operations and actuarial status of the program. Medicare is the second-largest social insurance program in the U.S., with 55.3 million beneficiaries. The trustees projected that the Hospital Insurance Trust Fund will remain fully funded until 2028, 11 years longer than projected before the Affordable Care Act. Further analysis of expenditure growth overall and each part of the program is included in the report.

This report captures the current state of I&R/A service provision, including trends and developments, challenges and opportunities, and promising practices, through survey responses provided by representatives from state agencies on aging and disability, Area Agencies on Aging, Aging and Disability Resource Centers, Centers for Independent Living, non-profit human service organizations and national organizations.

A new report is available from the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) which reviews the rehabilitation and habilitation benefits available in Qualified Health Plans (QHPs) available on the Affordable Care Act’s Marketplaces. The report reviews 724 QHP’s offered on the marketplace across all metal levels. It examines the degree to which the plans cover various therapies and the effect deductibles and co-payments had on the therapies.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published a report about the Minnesota Senior Health Options (MSHO) program. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the State of Minnesota started MSHO to coordinate the Medicare and Medicaid benefits their members receive, including Medicare coverage of acute medical care and Medicaid coverage of long-term services and supports. The report includes documentation of MSHO's outcomes from years 2010 to 2012.

On Wednesday, June, 15, 2016, the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) released the March 2016 Report to Congress on Medicaid and CHIP. The authorizing statute of MACPAC requires the commission to submit a report to Congress by March 15 and June 15 each year. The report discusses financial and spending analyses as well as functional assessment tools that Medicaid programs use to determine eligibility and create specific care plans.