Reports

In light of a rapidly aging population, increasing costs, and funding that is not keeping pace, programs like Meals on Wheels face unprecedented challenges to meet the growing need for meal and nutrition services. Decision-makers at all levels of government and community-based organizations within the Aging Network are increasingly seeking lower cost solutions to stretch constrained budgets. This report investigates the impact of meal service delivery on the health and well-being of adults 60+.

This is one in a series of annual reports on participation in the Medicaid Buy-In program. It provides updates on both national- and state-level trends in enrollment, employment, and earnings among the 35 reporting Medicaid Infrastructure Grant (MIG) states with a Buy-In program in 2011. Additionally, it addresses recent changes to state program rules and policies, and identifies factors that have affected recent Buy-In program enrollment, as reported by the states in an annual questionnaire.

The Federal Partners in Transition, an interagency workgroup, has published a strategy report to ensure that federal programs and resources effectively support American young adults with disabilities in reaching their goals of independence. This report identifies five outcome goals to operate across agency boundaries in an effort to enhance coordination and improve compatible policies among the multiple federal programs that support transitioning youth with disabilities and their families.

This report explores a range of issues relating to skills training and education for older workers, including the challenges older workers face when deciding whether to enroll in education and training programs, and, if so, how to choose a program and pay for it. In its key findings, the report states that while various factors influence older job seekers’ success in the labor market, many older unemployed workers lack the skills that are currently in demand.

This article, published in the Social Security Bulletin, presents long-term cumulative statistics on the extent to which individuals who began receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) disability payments from 1996 through 2006 found work and used SSI work incentives.The article also provides analysis on initiatives affecting SSI, including the Ticket to Work program and the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996.

These are three case studies of LTSS services in Minnesota, Idaho, and Georgia done by the Public Policy Institute of AARP as follow-up studies to the Raising Expectations 2011 State Scorecard on LTSS. The State LTSS Scorecard examines states' performance across 25 indicators that comprise four key dimensions of a high-performing system.

This Advisory Committee report is open for public review and comment until April 8, 2015. The report describes findings from the Advisory Committee's review of the scientific evidence on diet, nutrition, and health, and will help inform the next edition of the Dietary Guidelines, expected to be released by the end of 2015. The Dietary Guidelines are updated every five years and directly affect all federally-funded nutrition programs.

This GAO report examines (1) the extent to which Medicaid enrollees have private insurance, and (2) the state and CMS initiatives to improve third-party liability (TPL). Given the findings in the report, GAO recommends that CMS routinely monitor and share information regarding key TPL efforts and challenges, as well as provide guidance on state oversight of TPL efforts conducted by Medicaid managed care plans.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) provides new but limited opportunities to promote or fund specialized transportation services for older people and adults with disabilities. This paper explains how states can use these largely untapped options to expand services for targeted low-income populations with mobility needs. It also presents two case studies illustrating how the Atlanta region and the state of Connecticut are making this work.

As low-income adults covered under Medicaid expansion become eligible for and transition into Medicare, these individuals will face higher cost-sharing requirements. This report describes programs and policy options that could help low-income Medicare beneficiaries.