Reports

A new Policy Spotlight from the Aging and Disability Business Institute and the National Council on Aging provides an overview of how telehealth has changed as a result of the pandemic. The Policy Spotlight outlines the current challenges related to access to telehealth, identifies opportunities for the Aging Network and discusses legislative actions for expanding telehealth.

The Kaiser Family Foundation's new report, “Beneficiary Experience, Affordability, Utilization, and Quality in Medicare Advantage and Traditional Medicare: A Review of the Literature,” details their findings from an analysis of 62 studies published since 2016 comparing traditional Medicare to Medicare Advantage. The analysis reviewed beneficiary experience, affordability, service utilization, and quality measures. According to the report, the review “found few differences between Medicare Advantage and traditional Medicare that are supported by strong evidence or have been replicated across multiple studies. Both Medicare Advantage and traditional Medicare beneficiaries reported similar rates of satisfaction.

As an Area Agency on Aging (AAA), AgeSpan engages in innovative partnerships with housing providers through the Massachusetts Supportive Housing Program. In northeastern Massachusetts, AgeSpan pursues solutions that bring together housing and supportive services. Why? Many older adults and people with disabilities not only need afordable and accessible housing, but also supportive services that enable them to be as independent as possible. Assistance with nutrition, transportation, personal care, medication management, and chore services are just a few examples of these critical services.

NCAL has announced the publication of its annual Assisted Living State Regulatory Review. The report summarizes key selected state requirements for assisted living licensure or certification. It includes information on the following topics for all the states and the District of Columbia: 1) which state agency licenses assisted living, 2) recent legislative and regulatory updates affecting assisted living, and 3) requirements for resident agreements, admission and discharge requirements, units serving people with Alzheimer’s or dementia, staffing, and training.

New data from USAging shows that existing shortages in the caregiving workforce have grown during the COVID-19 pandemic and make it difficult for older adults to age well in their homes. This new report from USAging reveals that many AAAs and their direct care provider partners across the country are facing workforce shortages hindering their ability to provide home and community-based services to older adults.

The Council of State Governments, in collaboration with ODEP’s State Exchange on Employment & Disability, published a report designed to inform policymakers on “state as a model employer” policies and practices to recruit, hire and retain workers with disabilities. The report explores strategies states can use to promote diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility principles within the public-sector workforce.

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.