Introduction Older adults anchor our families and communities and connect our families through the generations. But after working all their lives, nearly half of our nation’s older adults living alone struggle to pay for food, rent, and medical care. Older adults in two-person households fare only slightly better—one out of five lack the resources to […]
Introduction As homelessness rises among older adults, it is crucial for aging advocates to connect their clients to resources, such as permanent supportive housing (PSH), available through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)’s homeless assistance programs.* Aging advocates can also play a key role in ensuring that the homeless service system equitably […]
We gratefully acknowledge Georgia Burke, formerly Justice in Aging’s Director of Medicare Advocacy, for authoring the first edition of this issue brief in 2019. We would also like to thank Nancy Lorenz of Greater Boston Legal Services and Vicky Pulos of Massachusetts Law Reform Institute for their insight and contributions. Introduction Enrolling in the Medicare […]
Introduction In April 2024, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule for 2025 Medicare Advantage Plans and Prescription Drug Plans (“Part C/D Rule” or “Final Rule”).[1] This rule makes multiple changes relevant to individuals dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid (“dually eligible individuals”), including: These changes will take place over […]
Introduction On April 2, 2024, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized a rule streamlining Medicaid eligibility and enrollment. The Streamlining Rule (“Rule”) will: The Rule will particularly help older individuals and people with disabilities, who have historically been left out of some efforts to simplify Medicaid processes (this population is often referred […]
States can use Medicaid waivers to expand oral health coverage and address disparities in access to dental care for older adults and people with disabilities.
As older adults leave incarceration and reenter our communities, they need support to connect them to health care benefits and other essential programs.
One of the more recent pushes in guardianship reform has been the call to protect the post-adjudication rights of those subject to guardianship by, among other methods, the creation of state-based, statutory bills of rights. These statutes affirmatively enshrine in state law the rights retained by those under guardianship, reinforcing the idea that legal personhood […]
Introduction One of the more prevalent (and comparatively successful) areas of guardianship reform has been the promotion of less restrictive alternatives to guardianship. If some alternative mechanism exists to provide support and address the issues prompting the call for guardianship, then no guardianship should be necessary. The implementation of the alternative might avoid the court […]
