The Administration on Aging makes funds available to grantees through state Discretionary and Formula grants. This table lists the grant estimates for FY11 and FY12 and compares them to the actual discretionary state formula grant allotment for FY10. The different programs included in the table are Home and Community-Based Services, Nutrition Services, Preventive Health Services, Family Caregiver Support Services, Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, and Prevention of Elder Abuse and Neglect.

Determining the federal budget for the coming fiscal year (FY) is nearly a year-long process. This flow chart explains the federal budget’s lifecycle—from federal agencies’ justification for funds to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees to the President’s authorization. It is a concise visualization of the process leading up to a federal fiscal year commencement.

There are many questions surrounding the debt ceiling. This Q & A answers many of the questions State Units on Aging Directors and their staffs have had regarding the debt ceiling, the federal government’s obligations, and implications for obligations such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. It is a guide to understanding the basics of the debt ceiling and the implications for not increasing it.

The Senior Community Service Employment Program is the only federally mandated job training program that explicitly serves low-income adults, age 55 and older, to promote economic self-sufficiency and community service. This paper provides an overview of the program’s goals, its structure in different states, its funding, and the relationship between stakeholders. The mission of the SCSEP serves to empower older individuals by making them more employable in both the public and private sectors.

This is a summary of the results of a mini-survey conducted in January 2012. The purpose of this survey was to gain insight on different states’ requirements for Medicaid-funded personal care attendants (PCAs). The results from 24 respondent states showed variation in requirements, from required background checks to CPR training and other educational and health requirements.

The ADvancing States assessment of the AoA funded project to develop a national volunteer resource center to enhance engagement of volunteers in the Aging Network, especially Baby Boomers, consisted of an online scan and three follow-up conference calls with program directors. The results are synthesized in an overall brief and separated by program: Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP), State Health Insurance Programs (SHIP), and Long-Term Care (LTC) Ombudsman programs.

Alabama’s Department of Senior Services (ADSS) launched a project to promote civil service by integrating AmeriCorps Members into its State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) and Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) Program. This innovative means to increase benefits assistance and enrollment has proven successful, especially for programs such as Medicare Savings Programs (MSP). This report describes AmeriCorps programs generally as well as the positive results of ADSS’s AmeriCorps project.

This presentation at the 2012 Aging in America Conference provides an overview of the basics of Medicaid and traces the major trends in reform, including the Olmstead decision and subsequent move toward home and community-based services; the promulgation of Medicaid Managed Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS); and a focus on “dual eligibles”.

States administering the Older Americans Act (OAA) have the option of providing recipients with a choice to cost share when using services. This brief explains the stipulations and parameters surrounding cost sharing – what OAA services allow or prohibit cost sharing and under what circumstances must services be provided when clients are unable to pay the cost share.

A February 2012 online survey consisting of 30 questions was sent to all states and focused on three topics: consumer-directed personal care services; assessments and care plan changes; and case management. The survey results provide information about respondent states’ practices regarding Medicaid funded LTSS. Consumer-directed care was found to be provided majorly through waivers; most assessments contracted out; and case management paid for as a service rather than administrative cost.