Surveys

This semi-annual report analyzes the fiscal condition of the states and includes data summaries of state general fund revenues, expenditures, and balances. State fiscal conditions continue to show signs of improvement and greater stability. Fiscal 2019 is projected to be the ninth year in a row with moderate state spending and revenue growth. State general fund spending is expected to grow 4.3 percent in fiscal 2019 compared to fiscal 2018 levels.

This recently released report examines the reforms, policy changes, and initiatives that occurred in FY 2018 and those adopted for implementation for FY 2019. The report focuses on changes in eligibility, managed care and delivery system reforms, long-term services and supports, provider payment rates and taxes, covered benefits, and pharmacy and opioid strategies.

The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) is an ongoing state-based, random-digit-dialed telephone survey of noninstitutionalized U.S. adults. The 2016 BRFSS survey included questions about six disability types; hearing, vision, cognition, mobility, self-care, and independent living. One in four (61 million) U.S. adults reported a disability. Disability-specific disparities in health care access were prevalent, particularly among young and middle-aged adults.

This survey gathered insights from workers 45+ and asked questions regarding their experiences in the workplace, especially regarding age discrimination. Sixty-one percent of older workers report that they’ve seen or experienced age discrimination in the workplace. Among those concerned about losing their job in the next year, one-third list age discrimination as a reason.

This study asked adults age 50-80 about their use of opioids for pain management, perceptions of opioid policies, and the education they received about the drugs and their disposal. More than one in four older adults (29%) said they filled a prescription for an opioid pain medication for themselves within the past two years. Nearly half had leftover opioid medication, raising important concerns about misuse or abuse and highlighting the importance of communication with healthcare professionals.

This paper assesses how well various organizations achieve the Culture of Health Framework laid out by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). Most respondents were familiar with the Culture of Health and reported strong alignment with its guiding principles. The authors also asked respondents how RWJF could further advance the principles that make up the Culture of Health. They then issued a series of recommendations for the Foundation based on these answers and their own observations.

In early 2018, NIDILRR issued a request for information about people with disabilities and opioid use disorder. NIDILRR received comments from 50 respondents, including consumers, community and national organizations, research teams, and federal partners. Overall, the responses to this RFI revealed a need to further explore the intersection of chronic pain, opioid misuse, and people with disabilities.

This report analyzes disparities in the care received by Medicare Advantage beneficiaries during 2015-2016. The report was compiled using information from the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) and the Medicare Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) survey. It looks at differences in care by race, ethnicity, and gender and also isolates racial and ethnic differences experienced by women and men.

The National Beneficiary Survey (NBS) supplements the Social Security Administration's (SSA's) records by providing extensive additional data on Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) beneficiaries’ and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients’ employment efforts. This publication released in March 2018 presents statistical information about beneficiaries and their employment experiences as gathered in the 2015 survey.

This survey explored the workplace experiences of supervisors, who are uniquely positioned to assess the processes and practices used by American employers to recruit and hire employees with and without disabilities. Results show that supervisors are striving to recruit, hire, train, and retain people with disabilities in their organizations. The survey identifies effective processes and practices that employers use to employ people with disabilities.