Reports

Are MIGs assisting individuals with disabilities to become employed? An annual GPRA report has been produced since 2007. This report builds on previous work, and shows the continued impact of MIG funding in 2008 on programs and services that facilitate employment among individuals with disabilities. As the MIG program approaches the end of its authorized period, many states are committing to evaluating the programs, documenting their impacts, and sustaining the efforts beyond 2011.

Examine a snapshot of workforce competencies that have been identified for professionals who work in LTC settings. It focuses on providers who serve long-term care needs of the older population. The paper also examines whether the competencies are the same or different from what is needed to care for the geriatric population in acute and ambulatory care settings.

Forthcoming legislation provides an opportunity to improve specialized transportation services, particularly those funded by the Federal Transit Administration. This report recommends that policymakers take steps to strengthen coordinated planning, increase support for mobility management, and improve data collection and reporting on these services. Also included is a link to a table delineating key characteristics of the FTA Programs and some background papers.

What are the housing challenges facing older adults? Find out in this report that also explores strategies to better enable older adults to age in place or in their community. It discusses accessible, safe, and affordable housing, access to social services and transportation, and housing models that help to allow aging in place. Also included is a link to an online toolkit, and a series of fact sheets on housing for seniors.

How are federal agencies hiring, managing, and retaining employees with disabilities? This report draws from an online survey of government employees involved in the hiring or management process. Findings indicate that a number of barriers exist including lack of education around key mandates, lack of manager training and accountability. Though stereotypes were also a barrier, they were significantly less common in agencies with proper tools and knowledge.

Long-term services and supports (LTSS) for the elderly and younger populations with disabilities are a significant component of national health care spending. In 2008, spending for these services was almost $191.1 billion (almost 10 percent of all U.S. personal health care spending), most of it paid by the federal-state Medicaid program. This publication presents data on LTSS spending by major public and private sources.

Integral to the coverage framework laid out in the reform law is a dramatic expansion of the Medicaid program. This primer provides key information about the program today, including a definition of what it is, who and what services are covered, Medicaid expenditures and how they are financed, and information of how health reform reshapes the program for the future.

An update to the Robert Wood Johnson 2002 chartbook examines the impact of chronic conditions on individuals and their caregivers, and the inadequacies of the U.S. health care system to meet their needs. According to the author, care for people with chronic conditions is not coordinated, leading to unnecessary service use. Included among his recommendations is the encouragement and support of patient self-management and family caregiving. Also attached is a presentation with supporting data.

Find national and state by state estimates of the increases in coverage and the associated costs compared to a baseline scenario without the Medicaid expansions in health reform. Findings show there will be large increases in coverage and federal funding in exchange for a small increase in state spending. Since it is impossible to predict the behavior of each state, the analysis examines two participation rate scenarios differing in the strength of outreach and enrollment efforts.

New job descriptions and titles are being developed to focus on the needs of individuals for activities such as support coordination, brokerage and personal resource management. This report helps to define the concept of “support brokerage” as it relates to persons with developmental disabilities. It addresses issues such as conflicting interests, self determination and structural requirements.