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CAADS WEBINAR | APR 19 | 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM (Pacific)
SSI /SSP and Medi-Cal Share of Cost:
Overview of the Basics, Common Issues and Advocacy Tips
Member registration No Charge : : Non-member registration $99 [Fill-in : : Write-on]
Recordings of past webinars [ Fill-in :: Write-on ]
 CAADS CONFERENCE | MAY 1 - 3 | Berkeley
Health, Hope and Healing: The Promise of Adult Day Services
Join us at the Doubletree Berkeley Marina Hotel | Brochure | Registration Form [Fill-In :: Write-On] | CE Order Form [Fill-In :: Write-On] | Invitation to Exhibit | Sponsorship Opportunities | Gift Basket Raffle Donation Form [Fill-In :: Write-On]
Adult Day Health Care:
An Unbelievable Cost Containment Resource that Is Underfunded and Underutilized
For those who think Adult Day Health Care (ADHC) is just day care…think again! Read Russell D. Foster's featured article in MAZARS USA HEALTHCARE TRENDS,Sept 2017.
The Effect of Adult Day Program Attendance on Emergency Room Registrations, Hospital Admission and Days in Hospital: A Propensity-Matching Study
Research by Ronald Kelly, PhD finds a decreased reliance on costly health care services by seniors who attend adult day programs. Read Abstract and Full Article | JUN 2017 | The Gerontologist, Volume 57, Issue 3, Pgs 552–562.
HELP II Loan Program -- Affordable Capital
The HELP II Loan Program, administered by the California Health Facilities Financing Authority (CHFFA) within the State Treasurer’s Office, offers low cost loans to assist eligible health facilities wanting to expand and improve services to their clients and the greater community. Learn more at www.treasurer.ca.gov/chffa/programs/help.
What's New . . . APRIL 20, 2018
Adult Day Services At Risk Of Being Dropped From NSLTCP Data Collection
ADS Providers Urged to Submit Comments to CDC by May 6
APR 19, 2018 | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) | National Adult Day Services Association (NADSA)
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is requesting comments on the collection of data by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC ) for Residential Care Community and Adult Day Services Centers regarding the National Study of Long-Term Care Providers (NSLTCP). The study was done in 2012, 2014 and 2016 and will be conducted again in 2018. The National Center for Health Statistics is now seeking approval to collect data for the 2018 Long Term Care Providers Study.
The CDC has asked for public comment on the data collection from the previous year’s studies. They received only 3 responses. As of April 6, 2018 they are extending the comment period for 30 additional days.
Comments are needed from Adult Day Providers who participated in the NSLTCP in years 2012, 2014, or 2016, on the key areas requested:
- Evaluate the collection
- Evaluate accuracy
- Enhance the quality
- Minimize burden
- Assess costs
It is of vital importance that this study continue to include Adult Day Services because the Department of Health and Human Services, Administration of Community Living, universities, foundations, AARP Public Policy Institute, and other adult senior organizations access this data. Adult Day Services needs to be represented.
If sufficient responses are not forthcoming ADS runs the risk of being dropped from the data collection. We cannot let that happen. You may respond to the CDC by using the NADSA CDC Survey Template.
Please note comments must be mailed via U.S. Postal Service. E-mails not accepted. Mail to:
CDC Desk Officer
Office of Management and Budget
725 17th St. NW
Washington, DC 20503
To view the April 6, 2018 Federal Register notice by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, click here.
The Supports We All Need To Age With Justice--New Resources
APR 13, 2018 | Justice in Aging | Fact Sheet | Issue Brief
Older Americans and their families share a common need to pay for health care and medicine, keep food on the table and a roof over their heads, and have enough cash on hand to pay the utilities, get where they need to go and meet other basic needs. To meet these challenges, seniors and their communities rely on a broad range of federal programs from Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and SSI, to food and housing assistance, to legal services.
It’s the combination of these programs that is the key to keeping millions of older adults healthy, housed, safe, and out of poverty. For example, older adults whose only income is from Supplemental Security Income would not be able to afford groceries without the SNAP program, or to pay the rent without rental assistance, or to see the doctor and get the services they need to remain in their own homes without Medicaid.
In a new issue brief and fact sheet, Justice in Aging discusses how these various programs work, who is eligible for them, and how they work in tandem to support the health and economic well-being of older Americans.
As more of us live longer and retire with fewer resources than previous generations, maintaining and funding a robust set of community services and supports is more important than ever. The more we understand how our existing programs work together to support older Americans, the better equipped we will be to strengthen and improve them so that we can all age with justice.
Dr. Tina Sadarangani to speak at CAADS Members Only Meeting on May 1
APR 13, 2018 | CAADS
Dr. Tina Sadarangani, Assistant Professor / Faculty Fellow in the New York University Rory Myers College of Nursing, will discuss her research on CAADS and ALE's Community Based Health Home model and the promise it holds for the future at the CAADS Members Only Meeting on May 1, in conjunction with the CAADS Spring Conference May 1-3, at the DoubleTree Berkeley Marina Hotel. CAADS members attending this meeting will be the first to hear directly from Dr. Sadarangani about this exciting quantitative and qualitative research and her plans for publication, dissemination and further study.
Dr. Sadarangani's research interest is barriers to health access and community-based services for elderly immigrants. Her work has received significant funding from the National Hartford Centers for Gerontological Nursing Excellence and the Hillman Family Foundation. She was recognized as a Patricia G. Archbold Scholar by the National Hartford Centers for Gerontological Nursing Excellence from 2014-2016 and received $100,000 in funding. She is currently a Fellow of the Hartford Institute of Geriatric Nursing and NYU. Dr. Sadarngani is also a board-certified adult / gerontological primary care nurse practitioner (NP) with experience in both primary care and specialty settings. In addition to her PHD from NYU Meyers, she holds an MS in Nursing from the University of Pennsylvania, a BS in Nursing from NYU, and a BA in Anthropology from Georgetown University.
Adult Day Services providers and prospective providers not yet in membership are encouraged to join CAADS. For more information on the CAADS Conference, Health, Hope and Healing: The Promise of Adult Day Services, check out the brochure, registration form, and opportunity for continuing education units.
IMPORTANT REMINDER!
CMS to Begin Mailing NEW Medicare Cards in April
California Scheduled in Wave 2: Cards Mailing April - June 2018
National Center on Law & Elder Rights (NCLER) [MAR 1, 2018]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is in the process of issuing new Medicare Beneficiary Identifiers and Medicare cards to help protect the identities of Medicare beneficiaries. The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) of 2015 requires CMS to remove beneficiaries’ Social Security Numbers (SSNs) from Medicare cards by April 2019 to mitigate risk of medical identity theft.
CMS will begin mailing new Medicare cards to beneficiaries in April 2018. The cards will be mailed in seven waves by groups of states over the next year. All beneficiaries should receive a new card by April 2019. Learn more from NCLER.
Congress' big Medicare changes include lifting therapy caps, shrinking the ‘doughnut hole
MAR 14, 2018 | Fierce Healthcare | Susan Jaffe, Kaiser Health News
Physical therapy helps Leon Beers, 73, get out of bed in the morning and maneuver around his home using his walker. Other treatment strengthens his throat muscles so that he can communicate and swallow food, said his sister Karen Morse. But in mid-January, his home health care agency told Morse it could no longer provide these services because he had used all his therapy benefits allowed under Medicare for the year.
Beers, a retired railroad engineer who lives outside Sacramento, California, has a form of Parkinson’s disease. The treatments slow its destructive progress and “he will need it for the rest of his life,” Morse said.
But under a recent change in federal law, people who qualify for Medicare’s therapy services will no longer lose them because they used too much. MORE
Report Finds Untreated Tooth Decay is Hidden Epidemic Among Older Adults
MAR 30, 2018 | BusinessWire | Fact Sheet | Full Report
A new report by the Center for Oral Health (COH) found that a significant number of older Californians are plagued by oral health problems despite the fact that dental disease is largely preventable. The study, “A Healthy Smile Never Gets Old: A California Report on the Oral Health of Older Adults,” found that, overall, one in three older adults need treatment for a decayed tooth, and untreated tooth decay is leading to a high prevalence of tooth loss.
“Research clearly demonstrates that properly addressing dental problems prevents various medical complications and reduces overall healthcare spending,” noted Dr. Sahiti Bhaskara, Director of Public Policy Research, Center for Oral Health. “However, in contrast to the growing awareness about children’s oral health needs, the oral health of older adults has received relatively little attention and few public health or policy interventions. This report is designed to shed light on older adults’ oral health and what can be done to improve health outcomes.”
Key findings include:
- Half the older adults residing in skilled nursing homes have untreated tooth decay
- One in three older adults in skilled nursing homes have lost all their teeth
- Sixty-five percent (65%) of older adults in nursing homes and 46% of community-dwelling older adults need treatment for tooth decay or gum disease
- Nearly 40% of skilled nursing home residents cannot chew due to poor contact between teeth
- Older adults in rural areas are 10% more likely to have untreated tooth decay than their urban counterparts
The report outlined recommendations to eliminate barriers to care and improve oral health. These include steps to break down health care silos, prioritize access to care and preventive services in Medi-Cal, expand use of innovative practices, and pursue education programs and outreach.
Data for this report was collected through oral health screenings of 2,372 older adults in California – conducted at 36 skilled nursing homes and 51 community sites that included congregate meal sites, adult day care centers and senior centers.
The Center for Oral Health is a California non-profit dedicated to improving oral health, especially of vulnerable populations, through innovation, research, education and advocacy. This project was funded in part by Archstone Foundation, the California Wellness Foundation, Delta Dental Health Education and Research Fund, and Liberty Dental Plan Foundation.
FY 2018 Omnibus Spending Bill Includes Increased Funding for Older Adult Programs
MAR 27, 2018 | Justice in Aging
The FY 2018 omnibus spending bill (H.R. 1625), signed Friday by President Trump, included significant increases for vital Older Americans Act programs, as well as continued funding to support the administrative aspects of the Social Security Administration and the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
The bill included:
- Social Security: A proposed budget increase of $388 million for the Social Security administrative fund. $280 million is set aside specifically for modernizing the agency’s IT infrastructure, and $100 million for reducing the backlog of appeal hearings.
- Housing: $678 million for the Section 202 program that provides assistance to older adults, including $105 million for new Section 202 construction and project-based rental assistance. It expands rental assistance for Section 202 Housing for the Elderly communities, provides funding for new construction for housing for people with disabilities, and increases funding for Housing Choice Vouchers, public housing, and homeless assistance, among other programs.
- Health: $49 million in funding for State Health Insurance Assistance Programs(SHIPs) for FY18, which is a $2 million increase from FY17, but still $3 million less than FY 2016.
- Energy Assistance: $250 million increase for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), for a total of $3.6 billion.
- Nutrition: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funding at $74 billion, a $4.5 billion cut (nearly 6%) from FY 2017. The bill also allows for work requirements.
- Community Services: Level funding for the Community Services Block Grant at $715 million, and the Social Services Block Grant at $1.7 billion. The Community Development Block Grant received a $300 million (10 percent) boost to $3.3 billion.
- Legal Services and Elder Justice: $410 million for the Legal Services Corporation (LSC), a $25 million overall increase from FY 2017 levels. The Older Americans Act, Title IIIB Supportive Services received a 10% increase, for a funding level of $385 million. Adult Protective Services (APS) and the Elder Justice Initiative received increased funding of $12 million, a $2 million increase.
The package that passed did not include other health care bills that we were watching, such as the EMPOWER Care Act (S.2227, H.R. 5306), which would extend the Medicaid Money Follows the Person Program, and the BENES Act (S.1909, H.R.2575), which would simplify and improve the Medicare Part B enrollment process.
Cal Duals CCI Monthly Update: MARCH 2018
PDF | Word
2018 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures
Report
MAR 20, 2018 | Alzheimer's Association | Report | Infographic | CA Fact Sheet
The Alzheimer's Association has released the 2018 Facts and Figures Report, Infographic and California Fact Sheet. A Special Report on the Financial and Personal Benefits of Early Diagnosis, located on pages 59-66, is the focus of the Alzheimer's Association's one-time California state budget proposal to improve early detection through a public education campaign in partnership with CDA and the AAAs. This June, the CA Department of Public Health will release its early detection toolkit for primary care providers, developed in collaboration with the 10 California Alzheimer's Disease Centers.
Key California Facts:
- The size of the population affected increased from 630,000 to 650,000 in one year
- Medi-Cal costs jumped to $3.776 billion annually
- Cause of death climbed from 5th to 3rd in CA, claiming 15,065 lives
New Cal MediConnect Performance Dashboard
MAR 15, 2018 | Department of Health Care Services, Health Care Delivery Systems
DHCS is pleased to announce the release of the new Cal MediConnect Performance Dashboard. This new dashboard will replace the previous enrollment dashboard and will also include performance metrics on quality withhold measures, care coordination, grievances and appeals, behavioral health and long-term services and supports.
For more information, and to view the dashboard, click here.
This and future dashboards will also be linked on CalDuals.org.
Any questions or comments can be sent to info@calduals.org. Thank you for your continued support of the CCI.
Congress' big Medicare changes include lifting therapy caps, shrinking the ‘doughnut hole
MAR 14, 2018 | Fierce Healthcare | Susan Jaffe, Kaiser Health News
Physical therapy helps Leon Beers, 73, get out of bed in the morning and maneuver around his home using his walker. Other treatment strengthens his throat muscles so that he can communicate and swallow food, said his sister Karen Morse. But in mid-January, his home health care agency told Morse it could no longer provide these services because he had used all his therapy benefits allowed under Medicare for the year.
Beers, a retired railroad engineer who lives outside Sacramento, California, has a form of Parkinson’s disease. The treatments slow its destructive progress and “he will need it for the rest of his life,” Morse said.
But under a recent change in federal law, people who qualify for Medicare’s therapy services will no longer lose them because they used too much. MORE
New Fraud Alert on New Medicare Card Scams
MAR 13, 2018 | California Health Advocates
Beware of callers saying you must first buy a temporary card for $5-50 before your new Medicare card arrives. This is not true. It is a scam.
In California, the new Medicare cards will arrive between April and June 2018. They are free, and Medicare will not call you about your new card. Cards will be mailed to your mailing addresses on file with Social Security. If you need to update your mailing address, you can go to https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/.
The following fraud alert warns of these scams and gives tips on how to protect yourself and where to report such scams. The alert is available in 7 languages and posted at https://cahealthadvocates.org/fraud-abuse/medicare-fraud-alerts/:
The Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) also has placemats in English and Spanish and a new Medicare card bookmark available in several languages. If you'd like to order some of these, please contact our Operations Manager, Jasmine Suo, at jsuo@cahealthadvocates.org.
Your Donations Help!
Three (3) great opportunities to further support Adult Day Services:
- CAADS STATE ADVOCACY FUND
- CAADS MANAGED CARE CONSULTING FUND
- ALE NINA M. NOLCOX SCHOLARSHIP FUND
Learn more and DONATE today -- thank you!
California Association for Adult Day Services, a 501 (c) 6 non-profit grassroots-driven organization, advocates for the growth and development of adult day services in California and nationally. Centers in membership with CAADS provide innovative day programs that support individuals with physical or mental disabilities and older adults with Alzheimer's disease and their families.
Learn more about CAADS
 The Alliance for Leadership and Education (A.L.E.) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) public benefit arm of CAADS. Its mission is to advance innovation and quality in Adult Day Service through research and analysis, education and training, and leadership for the benefit of consumers and their caregivers.
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NATIONAL ADULT DAY SERVICES ASSOCIATION (NADSA)
CAADS is a proud member of the National Adult Day Services Association.
Three representatives from California currently serve on the NADSA Board of Directors:
Corinne Jan, RN, PHN (NADSA Treasurer)
CEO, Family Bridges / Hong Fook Centers
Lydia Missaelides, MHA
Executive Director, CAADS
Amanda Sillars, MSW, LCSW
CEO, Total ADHC Solutions, Inc.
CARING FOR A VETERAN?
For help, call the VA Caregiver Support Line (toll-free):
1-855-260-3274
Mon - Fri 8 AM - 11 PM (EST) || Sat 10:30 AM - 6 PM (EST)
TO REPORT FRAUD AND ABUSE
Call DHCS Medi-Cal Fraud Hotline:
1-800-822-6222
The call is free and you can remain anonymous.
TO FILE A COMPLAINT AGAINST A HEALTH CARE FACILITY LICENSED BY THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH
Use the California Department of Public Health's Cal Health Find website
or
call, write, fax the Center for Health Care Quality,
Licensing and Certification District Office nearest you.
FREE FRAUD PREVENTION EDUCATION
The California Senior Medicare Patrol offers free fraud prevention education throughout the state.
To schedule a presentation, call 855-613-7080
See the SMP/Medicare fraud section at www.cahealthadvocates.org, for more information on ways to protect yourself from healthcare fraud and how to detect it.
If you come across any suspicious activity,
PLEASE REPORT IT AT
855-613-7080
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California Association for Adult Day Services
1107 9th Street, Suite 701 || Sacramento, CA 95814–3610
T: (916) 552-7400 || F: (866) 725-3123
E: caads@caads.org |
