Forty Percent of Adults Care For Sick, Elderly Relatives

Four in 10 U.S. adults are now caring for a sick or elderly family member as more people develop chronic illnesses and the population ages, a new study has found. "More health care is happening at home," said Susannah Fox, Associate Director of the Pew Research Center's Internet and American Life project and the study's lead author. "As more people are able to be saved by medical advances, their lives are being extended, but they're also being sent home medically fragile. It's caregivers who are the first line of defense." Researchers surveyed 3,014 adults nationwide and found that most caregivers were between 30 and 64 years old. They found that the number of caregivers increased 10 percent between 2010 and 2013. Fox also said the slow U.S. economy could explain why family members are becoming more responsible for care. With fewer or depleted savings, many people are less able to hire professional help, she said. About half of the United States population has at least one chronic condition, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Adults ages 65 and older, 75 percent of whom have chronic conditions, are expected to make up 19 percent of the population by 2030, compared with 12 percent in 2000.

Source: Reuters

Updates to State Medicaid Eligibility and Enrollment Systems - CIOs Survey

This weekend, the final 100-day countdown to open enrollment begins. Will state Medicaid eligibility and enrollment systems be ready? Results from a recent survey published by the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) and the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) indicate that 72% of the 26 states and/or territories that responded report that their state or territory will be implementing a new system before 2014, when new eligibility and enrollment processes kick in.

States that participated in the survey overwhelmingly responded that most of the funding comes from the 90 percent federal match that is available for eligibility and enrollment systems development and implementation through 2015. Two-thirds (68%) of the state chief information officers (CIO) indicate they currently leverage the Medicaid eligibility system to benefit other social service programs. (Other programs can benefit from the Medicaid upgrade.

If the Medicaid system needs a feature, other programs can benefit and pay any additional cost for integrating the other program. Disappointingly, only 22 percent of states with state-based marketplaces (SBM) were definite about integrating Medicaid and the SBM systems. Over half (56%) were still undecided.

But let’s get back to the system readiness question. CMS is busily working with state Medicaid and CHIP agencies on contingency planning. To the extent that, even temporarily, states will be implementing “work-arounds,” it is important for navigators, assisters and other stakeholders to understand how any interim eligibility and enrollment processes will work. Some states are discussing their contingency plans in open door meetings, but others may be planning behind the scenes. As we get closer to open enrollment, it’s important for states to be transparent about how things will work on day one, and beyond as changes are introduced. By setting expectations openly, states may save themselves a lot of headaches even when things are working according to the contingency plan because stakeholders didn’t know what to expect.

Don’t know what your state is up to? Ask for a copy of the contingency plan, or better still, ask to participate in the contingency planning process so that the needs of consumers are well represented as key decisions are being made.

Source: Tricia Brooks

             ccf.georgetown.edu

New Online Guide for Seniors: Combatting Financial Fraud

WASHINGTON — U.S. regulators have a new guide for teaching older adults how to detect financial scams and avoid being exploited.

The curriculum was developed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. It has been designed to instruct seniors and their caregivers and is targeted for use by employees of financial firms, adult protective service agencies, senior advocate groups, as well as law enforcement personnel.

The free curriculum, titled “Money Smart for Older Adults,” includes an instructor guide, a participant guide, and Power Point slides. It can be accessed online at:

http://www.fdic.gov/consumers/consumer/moneysmart/OlderAdult.html.

The guide notes warning signs that seniors should look out for, such as people asking for personal information over the phone.

Source: The Associated Press

Governmental Plans to Enhance Transition Services Nationwide

A key U.S. senator is pushing for expanded on-the-job opportunities for youth with disabilities while they are still in school, and he’s making the issue a top priority as Congress looks to tackle a major employment bill.

Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, said he is currently working to bring a reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act up for consideration. As part of that process, Harkin said this week that he would like to see vocational rehabilitation agencies take a bigger role in facilitating internships and other real-world experiences for students with disabilities who are in transition.

Currently, access to vocational rehabilitation varies widely from state to state, with employment services available to young people with special needs in some locations, but not others. Harkin is looking to change that.

An aide for the senator told Disability Scoop that Harkin wants to require vocational rehabilitation agencies in each state to set aside at least 10 percent of their funding to provide “pre-employment transition services” for students with disabilities. This could mean offering everything from skills training to internships, summer jobs and apprenticeships as a complement to the transition services provided by schools under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

“I am committed to raising employment rates for Americans with disabilities, and one of the most effective and lasting ways we can achieve that is to ensure that young people with disabilities have access to the summer jobs, internships and experiences in competitive employment that can be a springboard to a career,” Harkin said in a statement to Disability Scoop. “Improving services to young people with disabilities will be a central focus for me in the reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act.”

Staffers for Harkin, who chairs the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, said early conversations with the panel’s top Republican, Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., suggest that there’s bipartisan support for the plan.

Harkin said he expects to have a bill ready for consideration by late summer or early fall.

Source: Michelle Diament

             disabilityscoop.com