Trends in Medicaid HCBS

2011 – 42 page Kaiser Family Foundation publication entitled, “Medicaid Home and Community-Based Service Programs Data Update.”  The publication, which uses data from 1999-2009, includes information on HCBS participation trends, expenditure trends, and cost-saving strategies.  Data tables include:

• state-specific trends in participation by type of service (pp. 17-20),
• state-specific trends in expenditures by type of service (pp. 21-32),
• state-specific information on waiting lists (p. 40), and
• state-specific reimbursement rates for HHA and PCA services (p. 41).

State-specific Medicaid Waiver payment methodologies for adult day care

2011 – 23 page Leading Age publication entitled, “Adult Day Services/Adult Day Health: Financial Viability and Scope of Services Provided Under Medicaid Waivers.”  Included is state-specific data on payment rates, staffing requirements, and licensing requirements.

• DC stats (p. 5),
• MD stats (p. 9),
• VA stats (p. 15).

Growth in online donations

2011 – Blackbaud press release entitled, “Online Giving Grew 35% and Accounted for 8% of All Fundraising.”

Thousands of seniors (with reverse mortgages) may be at risk for foreclosure

2011 – US News & World Reports article entitled, “Delinquency Crisis Hits Reverse Mortgages.”

The impact on the proposed federal (2012) budget on senior services

2011 – National Council on Aging press release entitled, “Deep Proposed Budget Cuts Would Weaken Programs Targeted to Low-Income Older Americans.”  Included is information on proposed cuts to SCSEP and to LIHEAP.

See also:

The National Council on Aging’s budget change summary on specific Older American Act services.

Federal fact sheets on the proposed budget.  The fact sheet for the federal Department of Health & Human Services includes information on:

• physician payment rates under Medicare (p. 80),
• the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary program (p. 81),
• federal health centers (p. 83),
• mental health services (p. 83),
• LIHEAP (p. 84),
• Administration on Aging (p. 85),
• Medicare and Medicaid (pp. 80-81; 85)

Recession’s effect on State long-term care services

2011 – 70 page AARP Public Policy Institute report entitled, “Weathering the Storm: The Impact of the Great Recession on Long-Term Services and Supports.”  Included is data on:

• how states fund long-term services (p. 7),
• changes in state tax revenues since the start of the recession (pp. 4-5),
• services for which states are experiencing increased demands (p. 11),
• state-specific data on how states bundle HCBS and Medicaid funds (pp. 32-33),
• state-specific data on changes states have made to HCBS funding (pp. 34-35),
• state-specific data on changes to Medicaid Waiver censuses (pp.50-52),
• state-specific data on changes to provider payment rates (pp. 53-56).

Proportion of seniors with physically difficult jobs

2010 – 19 page Center for Economic and Policy Research report entitled, “Hard Work?  Patterns in Physically Demanding Labor Among Older Workers.”  Included is data on:

• proportion of seniors with physically demanding or difficult occupations (p. 4-5),
• proportion by occupation (p. 6),
• proportion by various demographics (including gender, race, educational attainment, and wage (pp. 7-16).

Low income seniors utilization of nutrition assistance programs.

2010 – 2 page Urban Institute fact sheet entitled, “Nutrition Assistance for Older Adults.”  Included is data on:

• Utilization rates of SNAP (food stamps) (p. 1),
• Utilization rates of Meals on Wheels (p. 1),
• Utilization rates of food pantries (p. 2).

Unemployment trends among seniors (age 55-64)

2010 – 11 page Urban Institute power point. Included is data on:

• unemployment trends by gender (pp. 2-3),
• unemployment trends by educational level (pp. 4-5),
• unemployment trends by race/ethnicity (pp. 6-7).

Poverty and seniors (national statistics)

2010 – 2 page National Council on Aging fact sheet entitled, “Economic Security.”  Data from 2009 is used.  Included is data on:

• proportion of seniors at economic risk (p.1),
• proportion of seniors that rely on SSA as sole income source (p. 1)
• proportion of seniors receiving public benefits (p. 1)
• proportion of employed seniors (p. 1),
• proportion of seniors in debt (pp. 1-2).