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April 1, 2007
Advocacy/Policy
Bill Would Increase Access to Community-Based Services Individuals who are eligible for nursing home services or other institutional care will have equal access to community-based services and support if the Community Choices Act (S. 799) is passed this year. The bill was introduced by Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Arlen Specter (R-PA) in early March. It would provide enhanced federal matching funds to help states develop their long-term care infrastructure and increase their ability to provide home and community-based services. The bill also would create a demonstration project to evaluate service coordination and cost sharing approaches for individuals who are eligible for both Medicaid and Medicare services. AAHSA supports the bill, but our staff will be meeting with legislators to clarify the eligibility criteria for older adults and disabled individuals who want to transition to the community and the state and local financing of the program. For more information. Contact Peter Notarstefano (202) 508-9406. CAST Bill Returns to Capitol Hill Our technology policy agenda took a step forward recently with the reintroduction of a bill (S. 716) to establish a Consortium on the Impact of Technology in Aging Health Services. The non-partisan consortium would bring together technology developers, service providers, researchers, seniors and insurers to evaluate the role that technology can play in helping the U.S. meet the needs of our aging population. Now, we need your help to get a vote on the Senate floor. Please send a letter to urge your senators to cosponsor this bill. Contact Marsha Greenfield, (202) 508-9488, or read more about CAST policy issues. Medicare and Medicaid Fact Sheet Outlines Broader Role for Medicare A new fact sheet, entitled "Medicare and Long-Term Care", outlines two options for modifying Medicare so that it could play a larger role in financing long-term care. The fact sheet, published by the Long-Term Care Financing Project at Georgetown University, outlines one option that would involve federalizing long-term care costs for individuals who are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid. Under this option, the federal government would pay the full cost of Medicaid long-term care services for Medicare beneficiaries. A second option would involve adding a personal care benefit to Medicare that would assist individuals who need help with daily activities but are ineligible for Medicare's current home health benefit. To find out more, read the full report. Are You Using Form UB-04? If your organization files paper claims with Medicare, you must start using a new payment form. Due to requirements for the National Provider Identifier, the UB-92 that you've been using is being discontinued and replaced with the UB-04 form. You may begin using the new UB-04 form immediately. Starting May 23, 2007, all of your paper claims must be filed on the UB-04, because the UB-92 will no longer be accepted. For more information about the new form, contact Iara Woody at (202) 508-9429 or visit the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services web site. Hospice Hospices Collaborate with Nursing Homes to Provide End-of-Life Care Is your hospice program seeking to create or enhance partnerships with local nursing homes? A new report, issued by The Center for Gerontology and Health Care Research at the Brown University Medical School, may help you design a successful collaboration. The report presents six case studies of nursing home/hospice partnerships that offer end-of-life care to nursing home residents and their families. "Nursing Home/Hospice Partnerships: A Model for Collaborative Success-Through Collaborative Solutions" suggests that the most successful partnerships are well planned, dynamic, involve regular dialogues between organizations, and feature routine assessments of both the partnership and the care and services provided. AAHSA served on the advisory committee for the report. For more information, contact Evvie Munley, (202) 508-9478, or read the report. Quality Forum Identifies Preferred Practices in Hospice Care A new report by the National Quality Forum identifies 12 structural and programmatic elements that are essential to the performance of sound hospice programs. These elements include interdisciplinary teams, diverse models of delivery, bereavement programs, educational programs, patient and family education, volunteer programs, quality assessment/improvement, community outreach programs, administrative policies, information technology and data gathering, methods for resolving ethical dilemmas, and personnel self-care initiatives. The report also lists 38 preferred practices related to hospice and palliative care, and identifies research gaps in these areas. For more information, read the full report. News from the States Minnesota: Baby Boomers Want to Stay Home Almost all (90%) of Minnesotans between the ages of 42 and 60 who participated in a recent study said they would prefer to grow old in their own homes rather than in rental apartments or nursing homes. Most of the respondents also said they would pay more for a long-term care system that provided better community services. The "Age Wave Study" was conducted by Ecumen, an AAHSA member that provides housing, assisted living, home health care and other community-based services. The survey collected respondents' views on aging and longevity, their preferred long-term care options and how they expect to pay for them, where they expect to live and work, their use of technology, and their level of civic engagement. Read the report. New Hampshire: Private Homes Offer Medicaid-Funded Care New Hampshire is using Medicaid funds to pay individuals who take older adults into their homes and provide them with non-medical personal care services. The new Adult Family Care (AFC) program pays for services that are provided in certified private homes. It does not cover care provided to older people by their spouses or adult children. New Hampshire now operates only two AFC pilots in Nashua and Manchester, but plans to move 600 Medicaid-eligible nursing home residents into the program over the next two years. Listen to interviews conducted with program administrators and participants. Wyoming: State Expands Community-Based Services More older people and persons with disabilities in Wyoming will get the help they need to stay in their homes thanks to the state's new Long-Term Care Choices Act. The new law allows the state to administer a program through which older people who do not qualify for Medicaid can receive community-based services like help with cleaning, bathing or grocery shopping. Services will be priced on a sliding scale. The new law also authorizes pilot programs to study the feasibility of innovation in long-term care facilities. Read a local news report about the bill, or review the legislation. Meeting News April 22-25: National Home Care & Hospice Policy Conference and Law Symposium Visit members of Congress, attend educational sessions on regulatory and legislative changes that impact your agency, and explore legal issues in hospice and home care. The conference is sponsored by the National Association for Homecare and Hospice (NAHC) and takes place in Washington, DC. For more information visit the NAHC Web site. April 25-27: National Senior Living Chief Financial Officer Workshop Experts will offer advice on managing a thriving aging services organization. The conference is sponsored by AAHSA and Ziegler Capital Markets Group and will be held in Park City, Utah. Registration ends April 4. Contact Sarah Dymond, (212) 512-0400 or register for the conference now. June 20-21: Long-Term Care Health IT Summit Explore the impact of health information technology (HIT) on the future of long-term care. The conference is sponsored by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) and will be held in Chicago. Contact Karyn Downie, (202) 508-9410 or visit the AHIMA Web site. Resources Help Consumers Find High-Quality Care Older consumers and their families are often confused and overwhelmed when choosing care and services to meet their needs. Help consumers in your area find high-quality care by distributing AAHSA's new "Consumers' Guide to Quality Aging Services." The guide features a set of questions designed to help consumers learn how different providers are managed, what values drive their work and how they meet an individual's needs and preferences. Contact Bruce Rosenthal at (202) 508-9499 or download the guide. Booklet Educates Family Caregivers about Helpful Resources Looking for a way to provide support to the friends and family members who care for the older people you serve? Consider directing those caregivers to a new booklet called "Resources for Caregivers." The publication includes a comprehensive list of books, Web sites, organizations, and audiovisual resources that provide information about caregiver issues. It was published by the MetLife Mature Market Institute and the National Alliance for Caregiving, in cooperation with the National Association of Areas Agencies on Aging. View the booklet online. Reports and Studies CDC Report Presents Snapshot of Health and Aging Most older adults (80%) have a chronic condition that could lead to early death or disability, according to a new report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "The State of Aging and Health in America 2007" presents a snapshot of the nation's progress in promoting the health and well-being of older adults. It urges individuals, professionals and communities to take steps that would (1) address health disparities within the aging population, particularly in racial and ethnic minorities; (2) encourage all people to communicate their wishes about end-of-life; (3) improve oral health of older adults; (4) prevent falls, which are the leading cause of hospitalization and injury deaths among the elderly; and (5) increase physical activity, immunizations, and screening for colorectal cancer among older adults. Read the report at the CDC Web site. Newspaper Reports on "Gray Market" in Home-Care Workers A burgeoning older population and a growing need for long-term care services is "remaking the home-care industry," according to a recent article in The New York Times. The newspaper reported on March 1 that many middle-class families are hiring home health aides through a "gray market" of workers who are "usually untrained, unscreened and unsupervised." Families hire these workers for financial reasons: they may pay as little as $12 an hour for an independent aide, compared with $20 an hour for care provided through an agency. AAHSA President and CEO Larry Minnix told The Times that he advocates national standards to protect consumers and ensure quality of home-care services. Read the article, entitled "New Options (and Risks) in Home Care for Elderly." Alzheimer's in the Community The Alzheimer's Association made national news in March when it reported that more than five million Americans-about 13 percent of people age 54 and older-have Alzheimer's disease. This figure, which represents a 10-percent increase from five years ago, is expected to triple in the next 40 years, according to "Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures." Statistics shared in the report show that HCBS providers are already playing an important role in caring for older people who suffer from the disease. A quarter of those receiving Medicare- or Medicaid-funded home health care have moderate-to-severe cognitive impairment, according to the report. In addition, at least half of older participants in adult day services have Alzheimer's disease or another dementia. Read the report to learn more. View past issues of the HCBS Report. AAHSA · 2519 Connecticut Ave. NW · Washington DC 20008 · www.aahsa.org
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