On March 1, 2017 the Social Security Administration (SSA) announced that it would reopen its decisions to deny spousal or survivor’s benefits to individuals who had been married to someone of the same sex, and whose marriage wasn’t recognized because of a discriminatory state or federal ban on marriage. This ruling and policy applies not […]
Because of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), more older adults get health insurance coverage and receive the supports they need to remain in their homes as they age. The American Health Care Act (AHCA), the Republican “repeal and replace” bill, would take away health insurance for 24 million Americans and cut Medicaid funding by 25 […]
Medicaid provides essential care for women throughout their lives—from family planning and maternal health services to nursing home care. However, yesterday, on International Women’s Day, committees in Congress were busy marking up a GOP ACA replacement bill that will fundamentally change the way Medicaid is funded, making it harder for both older and younger women […]
Millions of seniors and people with disabilities rely on Supplemental Security Income (SSI) to make ends meet. There are people relying on SSI to survive in every community in the country. The majority of SSI recipients are women, and the program is especially beneficial for people of color and people with limited English proficiency. It’s […]
On February 16, 2017, Republicans released their latest proposal outlining their ideas to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. This proposal radically changes the Medicaid program by capping the amount states will receive in federal funding to deliver healthcare to low-income individuals. These capped proposals, either block grants or per-capita allotments, aim to catastrophically […]
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) requires that sponsors of Medicare Part D prescription drug plans provide beneficiaries with access to transition supplies of needed medications to protect them from disruption and give adequate time to move over to a drug that is on a plan’s formulary (medication list), file a formulary exception […]
Consumer protection is a critical part of federal oversight for nursing facilities. The federal government issued revised nursing facility regulations in September, and most provisions became effective on November 28. The regulations are the product of over four years of work by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, including significant modifications in response to […]
The federal government issued revised nursing facility regulations in September, and most provisions became effective on November 28. Now is the time for advocates, providers, and others to better understand how the regulations are changing nursing facility care. Justice in Aging, in partnership with The National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care, and the Center […]
The Social Security Administration’s Representative Payee program is an important program for ensuring that older adults who can no longer manage their finances have someone trustworthy and competent to do it for them. As the population ages and the prevalence of cognitive challenges among the older adult population increases, the Rep Payee program will become […]
Justice in Aging has produced two new Fact Sheets for advocates and consumers: The first, for advocates, Durable Medical Equipment: The Basics for California Advocates, offers definitions for DME, coverage levels by insurance type, and includes steps advocates can take to help clients access DME depending on their insurance coverage. The second, for consumers, Durable […]