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June is Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month

This year, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) adopted a new reimbursement code to pay for care planning services for beneficiaries with cognitive impairments. In addition, the California Department of Public Health released its 2017 Alzheimer's Clinical Care Guideline. To learn more, visit www.alz.org or call the Alzheimer's Association's 24/7 helpline at 800.272.3900.

Top-of-Mind . . .

Topic and registration details to come...
Past webinar recordings / handouts are available using this form.

Transforming the Continuum of Care | Doubletree Anaheim—Orange County
Registration information coming soon!

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.

Fact Sheet: California
Changing Medicaid to a Block Grant or Per Capita Cap Could Hurt Californians
AARP Public Policy Institute | Fact Sheet 404 | Brendan Flinn | MAR 2017

What's New . . . JUNE 22, 2017

Senate, House, 'Obamacare': Three health care overhauls, compared

JUN 22, 2017 | Napa Valley Register | News Article
By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Senate Republican health care bill would guarantee immediate assistance for insurance markets that are struggling in many states. Yet overall it would do the same thing as its House counterpart: less federal money for health insurance and a greater likelihood that more Americans will be uninsured.

The bill's impact on personal health care costs would be uneven: Premiums would likely go down for youger people, but older people would pay more. Out-of-pocket costs to cover insurance deductibles and co-payments would go up. READ MORE

Justice in Aging's Statement on the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017

JUN 22, 2017 | Justice in Aging

Today, Senate leadership revealed the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017, their version of the American Health Care Act (AHCA) that was passed by the House last month. Behind closed doors, a small group of Republican senators has taken a bad bill and made it worse by piling on deeper cuts to Medicaid, and they’ve doubled down on cuts that would strip healthcare from millions of Americans to give tax breaks to the wealthy.

Under this bill, seniors would no longer be able to rely on Medicaid when they need it most—to pay for long-term services and care. By capping federal Medicaid funding and then slashing its growth rate, the $834 billion in cuts that the Republican bill would enact will be even bigger than the House version. With lower funding, states will be forced to cut services, restrict eligibility, and reduce benefits for seniors, children, people with disabilities, and low-income adults.

This bill is an affront to people with disabilities. On this anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court decision Olmstead v. L.C., when we celebrate 18 years of progress integrating individuals with disabilities into our communities, Republicans in Congress are threatening to take us backwards by decimating Medicaid, the program that enables nearly 3 million individuals to live in our communities instead of institutions.

The bill also retains other threats to older Americans’ health care that were contained in the House bill. Like that bill, it ends Medicaid expansion on which many adults age 50-64, and family caregivers rely. It also strips the consumer protections that make insurance more affordable for older adults, and allows health plans to charge older adults five times as much as younger adults. It doesn’t stop there. It also dilutes the subsidies that help lower and middle income Americans afford insurance.

Senate Republican leadership is insistent on rushing this dangerous bill through without regard for the health and safety of older Americans and their families. We call upon the Senate to stop this all-out assault on the health and long-term care needs of older adults, and start over and work together to improve health care for older Americans and all Americans.

Cuts to SSI in Trump Budget Push Older Adults into Poverty

JUN 21, 2017 | Justice in Aging Income Network Alert | Issue Brief

Trump’s Fiscal Year 2018 budget aims to cut nearly $1 billion per year from SSI recipients’ benefits by creating a sliding scale for multi-recipient SSI families.

This is terrible policy. Our new issue brief Cuts to Multi-Recipient Households Push Older Adults & Their Families Deeper into Poverty outlines who’s most affected and discusses how these cuts would discourage families with older adults and people with disabilities from helping one another out by sharing their homes. The cuts would push already poor families deeper into poverty, force people onto the streets or into institutions, and result in costly administrative burdens for the Social Security Administration (SSA).

Governor and lawmakers reach final deal on new state budget

JUN 13, 2017 | Los Angeles Times | Melanie Mason and John Myers

With a deadline looming, there's a deal between Gov. Jerry Brown and lawmakers on a new state budget

CBAS Updates

JUN 2, 2017 | California Department of Aging, CBAS Branch

CMS Extends Transition Period for Compliance with the Home and Community-Based (HCB) Settings Requirements

Recently the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that they are extending the transition period to March 17, 2022, for states to demonstrate compliance with the federal Home and Community-Based Settings requirements. Please refer to the CMS Informational Bulletin for more details.

CMS originally implemented the HCB Settings Final Rule on March 17, 2014, establishing a transition period of five years to March 17, 2019. The HCB Settings Final Rule in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 441.301 (4) requires states to assess all residential and non-residential HCB settings for compliance with the HCB Settings characteristics.

This three-year extension from March 17, 2019, to March 17, 2022, will help ensure that the CBAS program meets its goals of compliance in the most timely and effective manner. This extension will not change CDA's overall process for validating CBAS provider compliance with the HCB Settings requirements. CBAS provider compliance with the federal requirements must be demonstrated/remediated during the center's certification renewal process time period in order for CBAS centers to be recertified for participation in the Medi-Cal program. Refer to the CBAS HCB Settings Transition Plan for more details about the CBAS compliance determination process and the commitments that the State has made to CMS to transition CBAS centers into compliance.

Update on CMS Approval Status of the CBAS Transition Plan

CMS has requested revisions to the State’s “systemic assessment” of the laws, regulations, waiver, policies and other requirements (e.g. program authorities) for all HCB settings identified in California’s Statewide Transition Plan (STP) which includes the CBAS Transition Plan as an attachment.

Therefore, CDA is in the process of revising Appendix III of the CBAS Transition Plan to clarify further how the ADHC/CBAS program authorities comply with the HCB Settings requirements. The State plans to submit all revised documents to CMS by June 30, 2017, for review. We will keep you informed in future CBAS Updates newsletters about the outcome of the CMS review.

Please contact the CBAS Branch at the California Department of Aging (CDA) if you have any questions about the CBAS IPC. CDA contact info: (916) 419-7545 or cbascda@aging.ca.gov.

Federal Policy Changes Would Threaten the Well-Being of Older Californians, With Harm Magnified as the Population Ages

JUN 1, 2017 | California Budget & Policy Center | Fact Sheet

In recent months, President Trump’s federal budget and the American Health Care Act (AHCA), among other policy proposals, have called for deep spending cuts that would harm the well-being of various segments of the population. Older adults, who have a greater need for health care and other services, are one group that would face especially large threats under policies supported by the Trump Administration and its allies in Congress.

To shed light on how policies that place older adults at risk could have a major impact on communities across California, a new Budget Center Fact Sheet examines projected population growth in our state in the coming years, including by individual county. This analysis shows that between 2016 and 2030, the number of Californians age 65 or older is expected to grow from nearly 5.5 million to almost 9.1 million, a two-thirds increase. (Population growth among the oldest Californians — those 75 or older — is projected to be even more substantial.) In addition, in more than half of all California counties, the number of residents age 65 or older is expected to increase by at least 50 percent during this period, meaning that federal policies that are detrimental to seniors would have a greater effect on certain parts of the state.

New Video Warns of Medicare Back Brace Scam

MAY 31, 2017 | Medicare Senior Patrol
Medicare Back Brace Scam - Protect Your Medicare [0:30]

This public service announcement warns of a common Medicare fraud scam and refers people to the California Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) for help and to report fraud. Call the California SMP at 1-855-613-7080 to report suspected healthcare fraud. For more videos, visit CA Medicare Guru.

New Medicare cards offer greater protection

New cards will no longer contain Social Security numbers, to combat fraud and illegal use
MAY 30, 2017 | CMS NEWS (For Immediate Release)

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is readying a fraud prevention initiative that removes Social Security numbers from Medicare cards to help combat identity theft, and safeguard taxpayer dollars. The new cards will use a unique, randomly-assigned number called a Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI), to replace the Social Security-based Health Insurance Claim Number (HICN) currently used on the Medicare card. CMS will begin mailing new cards in April 2018 and will meet the congressional deadline for replacing all Medicare cards by April 2019. Today, CMS kicks-off a multi-faceted outreach campaign to help providers get ready for the new MBI.

“We’re taking this step to protect our seniors from fraudulent use of Social Security numbers which can lead to identity theft and illegal use of Medicare benefits,” said CMS Administrator Seema Verma. “We want to be sure that Medicare beneficiaries and healthcare providers know about these changes well in advance and have the information they need to make a seamless transition.”

Providers and beneficiaries will both be able to use secure look up tools that will support quick access to MBIs when they need them. There will also be a 21-month transition period where providers will be able to use either the MBI or the HICN further easing the transition.

CMS testified on Tuesday, May 23rd before the U.S. House Committee on Ways & Means Subcommittee on Social Security and U.S. House Committee on Oversight & Government Reform Subcommittee on Information Technology, addressing CMS’s comprehensive plan for the removal of Social Security numbers and transition to MBIs.

Personal identity theft affects a large and growing number of seniors. People age 65 or older are increasingly the victims of this type of crime. Incidents among seniors increased to 2.6 million from 2.1 million between 2012 and 2014, according to the most current statistics from the Department of Justice. Identity theft can take not only an emotional toll on those who experience it, but also a financial one: two-thirds of all identity theft victims reported a direct financial loss. It can also disrupt lives, damage credit ratings and result in inaccuracies in medical records and costly false claims.

Work on this important initiative began many years ago, and was accelerated following passage of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA). CMS will assign all Medicare beneficiaries a new, unique MBI number which will contain a combination of numbers and uppercase letters. Beneficiaries will be instructed to safely and securely destroy their current Medicare cards and keep the new MBI confidential. Issuance of the new MBI will not change the benefits a Medicare beneficiary receives.

CMS is committed to a successful transition to the MBI for people with Medicare and for the health care provider community. CMS has a website dedicated to the Social Security Removal Initiative (SSNRI) where providers can find the latest information and sign-up for newsletters. CMS is also planning regular calls as a way to share updates and answer provider questions before and after new cards are mailed beginning in April 2018.

For more information, please visit: https://www.cms.gov/medicare/ssnri/index.html

Justice in Aging Urges Senators to Reject Medicaid Cuts and Caps and Protect Medicare

MAY 26, 2017 | Justice in Aging

On Monday [5/22/17], Justice in Aging, along with 74 other national organizations, sent Senate leadership a letter urging them to reject the American Health Care Act (AHCA). The letter voices opposition to provisions in the AHCA that undermine Medicare’s financing and risk access to essential care for people with Medicare and Medicaid. Read the letter. Justice in Aging also wrote a letter to Senator Orrin Hatch, Chairman of the Committee on Finance, urging him to oppose the AHCA as detrimental to older adults’ health care.

Cal Duals Update

MAY 2017 Update PDF :: Word | Source: CalDuals.org (5/26/2017)

Veterans Affairs warns of Choice Card scam

MAY 25, 2017 | Press Leader

According to a May 16 Military Times article by Rachael Kalinyak, VA officials said the scam phone number will not provide any information on the Choice Program or its eligibility criteria, but it will offer a $100 rebate for the caller’s credit card information. The VA officials said they would never ask for this information, nor would they ever offer incentives through the Choice Program. The real Veterans Choice Program hotline will automatically tell the caller that they have reached the “U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.” The fake number will only tell callers they reached the “Veterans Choice Program” after the caller asks.

New Fact Sheet: SSI in California

MAY 25, 2017 | Justice in Aging

California has the highest rate of senior poverty in the nation; increasingly more older Californians struggle to make ends meet and stay in their homes, and senior homelessness is on the rise. Over a million California seniors and people with disabilities rely on Supplemental Security Income (SSI) to help them meet their basic needs. There are people who depend on SSI to survive in every community in the state. The majority of SSI recipients are women, and the program is critical for many people of color and people with limited English proficiency. It’s also an essential safety net for nearly 300,000 California retired older adults who receive some Social Security, but not enough, because they worked in low-wage or seasonal jobs, or stayed home from work to care for family members.

With leaders in Congress intent on cutting benefits like SSI, it’s critical that advocates proactively educate lawmakers, the media, and fellow advocates about the important role SSI plays in ensuring that some of the most vulnerable people in our state can meet their basic needs for shelter, food, and other necessities. Given the significant number of low-income older adults in California, Justice in Aging recently launched two new projects to improve access to and utilization of SSI benefits among older adults across the state. We are building a strong coalition of statewide advocates who are informed about and trained in the details of the SSI program, including how SSI reduces homelessness, and working toward systemic improvements of the program.

Please use this new Justice in Aging SSI fact sheet for California that shows who relies on SSI, why it’s important, and the dangers cuts to the program would pose for low-income individuals, families, and communities.

CBO Analysis Reaffirms AHCA is a Disaster for Older Adults

MAY 24, 2017 | Justice in Aging

Below is a statement from Justice in Aging Executive Director Kevin Prindiville:

“This new Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report shows that by 2026, 23 million Americans who previously had coverage will be uninsured. A disproportionately large number of the newly uninsured will be people between 50 and 64, whose premiums will skyrocket. For example, a single 64-year old with an income of $26,500 would have to pay a staggering $13,600 a year in premiums, more than half of what he has available to live on. That, compared to $1,700 a year under the Affordable Care Act, is an increase of more than 800%. Additionally, in states that waive consumer protections, older adults and others will see out-of-pockets costs rise sharply as plans provide skimpy coverage and can impose annual and lifetime limits.”

“Most troubling, the CBO report confirms that AHCA will cut funding to Medicaid by $834 billion over the next decade. The AHCA ends the Medicaid program as we know it by imposing per capita caps and block grants. Over six million older adults rely on Medicaid, and two-thirds of all Medicaid spending for older adults goes to essential long-term care services in nursing homes and at home and in the community. With such drastic cuts and caps to the Medicaid program, the AHCA threatens the care of all of these seniors and the peace of mind of their families.”

“In total, the cuts to Medicaid will mean 14 million fewer individuals will be enrolled in Medicaid by 2026. The plunder of Medicaid is used to provide an enormous tax break for corporations and to the most wealthy Americans.”

“Further, AHCA tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans will decrease Medicare revenues and shorten the life of the Medicare Trust Fund, putting health care for generations of older adults in jeopardy.”

“This CBO score, like the one before, confirms that the American Health Care Act is a devastating bill for our nation’s older adults.”

CAADS Sets Advocacy Fund Raising Goal of $100,000 by May 30

APR 10, 2017 | CAADS | Letter | Donate/Pledge Form [Fill-in :: Write-on]

In a letter to adult day services providers and colleagues, CAADS President Corinne Jan, CEO of Family Bridges, announced a $100,000 fund raising campaign to sustain a major advocacy effort to protect adult day services beneficiaries and programs from new threats, while looking for opportunities to strengthen our position at the state and national levels.

Ms. Jan kicked off the campaign with a generous donation of $8,000 from Family Bridges.

The President and Republican majority in Congress continue negotiations to “repeal and replace” the Affordable Care Act. Legislative proposals to drastically reduce the federal share of Medicaid (Medi-Cal) funding under a new “per person” block grant formula threaten funding for continuation of CBAS as a Medi-Cal benefit! Changes to the Coordinated Care Initiative (CCI) continue to be negotiated through the state budget process. Low provider rates continue to threaten access to services.

Medicare Card Fraud Alert

MAR 15, 2017 | California Health Advocates

Due to Congress' passage of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) in 2015, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is required to remove Social Security numbers from all Medicare cards, and will do so starting in April 2018. This change is to prevent fraud and protect people's identity. Yet with any new change, scammers take advantage of potential confusion.

We've received several reports of beneficiaries getting calls from such scammers claiming to be from Medicare and asking for payment to receive their new Medicare card, or asking them to verify their Medicare number. This is a scam, as there is no cost to the new cards, AND Medicare will never call to verify someone's number, as they already have it.

To help educate beneficiaries and their families on this matter, we've created a short fraud alert on the upcoming change in their Medicare card and to be aware of scams.

English | Chinese | Farsi | Korean | Russian | Spanish | Tagalog | Vietnamese

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. CAADS was the first state association formed in the United States for the purpose of advancing adult day services. 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.

A nationally recognized leader in the field of aging, the Association is governed by the CAADS Board of Directors and provides timely information, analysis, advocacy, technical assistance, education, and networking opportunities for its members. CAADS members agree to abide by the Association's Bylaws, Code of Ethics, and Anti-trust Policy.

VIEW:
CAADS Board of Directors: 2017
CAADS Annual Report: 2016 | 2015
Bylaws | Code of Ethics | Anti-trust Policy

The CAADS Members Only page features information and technical assistance specific to Adult Day Services, as highlighted below. For membership information, click here.

• State Budget Proposals, Legislative Alerts & Advocacy
• CBAS Waiver
• Medi-Cal Issues
• Medicare and Medi-Cal Dual Beneficiaries News & CCI / CalDuals Updates
• Managed Care Health Plans & CA Dept of Managed Health Care Updates
• ADHC / CBAS Licensing & Regulations (DPH, DHCS, CDA)
• Adult Day Program (ADP) Licensing & Regulations (DSS, CCLD)
• Funding Sources
• Education & Training Materials / Webinar Recordings
• Membership Roster

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.

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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CAADS STAFF

Lydia Missaelides, MHA
Executive Director

Kathryn Atkinson
Membership & Communications Director

Sherice Dean
Education & Events Manager

Coni Segretto-Ricci
Office Assistant