Family caregivers in the U.S. provide billions of hours of care worth billions of dollars. This care should be voluntary, and, for older adults and people with disabilities receiving the care under a Medicaid service plan, federal law requires it. Under federal Medicaid regulations, Medicaid service plans for older adults and people with disabilities who […]
As the population of older Americans increases in the coming years, and the prevalence of cognitive impairments also increases, the need for Representative Payees to manage individual’s Social Security and SSI benefits will grow. However, the Social Security Administration (SSA) does not have reliable mechanisms for determining who is in need of a Representative Payee. […]
In January 2016, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the first ever evaluation of the Financial Alignment Initiative (FAI) known as the dual eligible demonstration. Since the first dual eligible demonstrations rolled out in August 2013, Justice in Aging has followed the process both through the advocates on the ground who counsel […]
States and CMS are in the early stages of evaluating the demonstrations and also looking at mid-course corrections and improvements based on experiences to-date. At the same time, advocates and policymakers are contemplating future health care delivery system reforms, as part of a broader reform effort to pay for value and outcomes, instead of volume. […]
On July 26, disability and aging advocates will celebrate the 25th anniversary of President George H.W. Bush signing the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into law. This celebratory time offers an opportunity to commemorate the ADA’s history and its future potential. In Justice in Aging’s new issue brief, ADA at 25: Aging Advocates Celebrate Partnership […]
Update: Justice in Aging Comments Submitted July 27 On May 27, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a proposed rule to update the Medicaid managed care regulations for the first time in over ten years. Comments on the proposed regulations are due Monday, July 27 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern. Your experience working […]
New federal regulations have established first-time standards for when settings qualify as “community-based” for the purposes of Medicaid-funded Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS). Each state is charged with developing a transition plan to meet these standards. These plans will have a huge impact on older adults receiving Medicaid-funded HCBS in assisted living, adult day services, […]
Person-centered planning encompasses the idea that the individual is at the heart of all decisions about services, supports, and care. When people are given the opportunity to choose where, how, and by whom they receive their care; and make their own decisions about mealtime, bedtime, which activities they engage in, and generally direct their own […]
The Problem: Can You Spot the Legal Violations in this Job Announcement? California’s assisted living policy is surprisingly behind-the-times. 30 years ago, the assisted living system was created in California for residents without significant health needs. Today, assisted living residents are much sicker than they used to be, but there’s no solid quality of care […]
The Problem: A False Choice Between Community Living and Access to Health Related Services "The false choice between the social model and health care expertise contradicts the goal of aging in place: to age with choice and independence, along with access to needed services." This policy issue brief, by Justice in Aging attorneys Eric Carlson […]
