HEALTH and LONG-TERM SERVICES
This page has information on long-term care issues and resources to help you live independently in your own home and community including links to:
News
A Big Week For The House, By Kaiser Health News, March 15, 2010
Homestretch scramble for votes, By Patrick O'Connor, Politico, March 15, 2010
Millions Spent to Sway Democrats on Health Care, By Jeff Zeleny, New York Times, March 14, 2010
Pelosi: House vote may be next week, By Patrick O'Connor, Politico, March 12, 2010
Democrats, White House close in on health bill, By Erica Werner, Associated Press, March 11, 2010
Democrats' full-court press on healthcare reform, By Gail Russell Chaddock, Christian Science Monitor, March 09, 2010
Obama Turns Up the Volume in Health Care Bid, By Helen Cooper and David M. Herszenhorn, New York Times, March 08, 2010
Senate Panel to Investigate Deaths at Long-Term Care Facilities, By Alan Berenson, New York Times, March 08, 2010
A Handy Road Map for the Final Weeks, By David M. Herszenhorn, New York Times, March 08, 2010
Ten who could decide health care, By Patrick O'Connor and Carrie Budoff Brown, Politico, March 05, 2010
Obama calls for reconciliation to prevent filibuster on health-care reform, By Shailagh Murray and Lori Montgomery, Washington Post, March 4, 2010
Why Pay For Health Insurance When You Can Steal It?, By Jennifer Moore, NPR/KSMU, March 03, 2010
As Democrats seek to push through health bill, Obama reaches out to Republicans, By Lori Montgomery and Shailagh Murray, Washington Post, March 3, 2010
Parity Law Expands Mental Health Access, By Sandra G. Boodman, Kaiser Health News, March 02, 2010
Obama looks to undecided Dems for health backing, By Erica Werner, Associated Press, March 02, 2010
Democrats will have votes for health bill, Obama aide says, By Ann Kornblut, Washington Post, March 01, 2010
After The Summit, From Kaiser Health News, February 25, 2010
Live from Washington: Obama's health care summit, By Richardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Associated Press, February 25, 2010
House votes to strip health insurance companies of antitrust exemption, By Perry Bacon Jr.,
Washington Post, February 24, 2010
Democrats warm to Obama’s plan to pass health bill, By Lisa Wangsness, Boston Globe, February 24, 2010
National cross-disability, disability-led coalition releases agenda that includes CCA!, By the ADAPT Community, February 23, 2010
Haiti Earthquake Aftermath: People with Disabilities Face Serious Challenges, By Abir Joubran-Dakwar, AADP Policy Intern, February 22, 2010
Examining Obama's Health Care Proposal, Thursday's White House Summit, By Kaiser Health News, February 22, 2010
President Obama releases health reform proposal, By Carrie Budoff Brown, Politico, February 22, 2010
Sebelius: Greedy insurance hikes prove need for health care reform, By Kathleen Sebelius, Special to The Kansas City Star, February 19, 2010
Obama to Offer Health Bill to Ease Impasse as Bipartisan Meeting Approaches, By David Herszenhorn and Robert Pear, The New York Times, February 18, 2010
Health insurance rate hikes prompt more criticism from Obama administration, By Amy Goldstein, Washington Post, February 18, 2010
House Democrats say merger of health bills is near, By Jennifer Haberkorn, Washington Times, February 18, 2010
Health On The Hill: What A Difference A Year Makes, By Kaiser Health News, February 16, 2010
Republicans Spurn Once-Favored Health Mandate, By Julie Rovner, NPR, February 15, 2010
Health insurers take heat for rise in profits, By Noam Levey, Los Angeles Times, February 11, 2009
Can Gregg help W.H. save health bill?, By David Rogers, Politico, February 11, 2010
Obama would OK health bill minus items he pursued, By Richardo Alonso-Zaldivar and Charles Babington, Associated Press, February 10, 2010
Long-Term Care Hospitals Face Little Scrutiny, By Alex Berenson, New York Times, February 10, 2010
Aging out of EPSDT and Olmstead, Information Bulletin #300 from Steve Gold, February 09, 2010
GOP wary of pitfalls in Obama's health care summit, By Charles Babington, Associated Press, February 09, 2010
Obama Plans Bipartisan Summit on Health Care, By Jeff Zeleny, New York Times, February 07, 2010
Obama suggests Republicans could have a role in health-care bill, By Shailagh Murray and Paul Kane, Washington Post, February 04, 2010
Health Care’s Share of U.S. Economy Rose at Record Rate, By Katharine Q. Seelye, New York Times, February 04, 2010
Brains of vegetative patients show life, By Melissa Healy, Los Angeles Times, February 4, 2010
Rangel: Lawmakers writing compromise health bill, By Alan Fram, Associated Press, February 02, 2010
Disability Community Helps in Haiti, From New Mobility Magazine Online, February 2010
Obama's Budget Proposal, Continuing Negotiations On Health Reform, By Kaiser Health News, February 01, 2010
Deja vu a nightmare for Democrats?, By Carrie Budoff Brown and Chris Frates, Politico, January 31, 2010
While Confident Health Care Will Pass This Year, Democrats Still Search for a Plan, By David Herszenhorn and Robert Pear, The New York Times, January 29, 2010
Poor ratings persist for 1 in 5 U.S. nursing homes, By Jack Gillum, USA TODAY, January 28, 2010
State of health reform: Still grim, By Carrie Budoff Brown and Meredith Shiner, Politico, January 27, 2010
Democrats Put Lower Priority on Health Bill, By David Herszenhorn and Robert Pear, The New York Times, January 26, 2010
Debating Next Steps For Health Reform, By Kaiser Health News, January 25, 2010
Analysis: Paring back health care not so easy, By Richardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Washington Post/Associated Press, January 22, 2010
You can help the disabled in Haiti, From the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, January 21, 2010
Obama Weighs Paring Goals for Health Bill, By Sheryl Gay Stolberg and David M. Herszenhorn, New York Times, January 20, 2010
Durbin: No attempt to push healthcare bill through before Brown certified, By Alexander Bolton and Jeffery Young, The Hill, January 20, 2010
The fallout: Democrats rethinking health care bill, By Carrie Burdoff Brown and Patrick O'Connor, Politico, January 19, 2010
What The Massachusetts Senate Race Could Mean For Health Reform, By Kaiser Health News, January 19, 2010
Advocate For People With Mental Illnesses Dies, By Joseph Shapiro, NPR, January 19, 2010
Democrats seek quick deal on health-care bill, By Lori Montgomery, Washington Post, January 16, 2010
Democrats see healthcare finish line in sight after negotiations, By Jeffery Young and Jared Allen, The Hill, January 14, 2010
Obama to woo House Dems on health care deal, By Richado Alonso-Zaldivar, Associated Press, January 14, 2009
Obama, congressional Democrats meeting on health, By Alan Fram, Associated Press/BusinessWeek, January 13, 2010
States seek to shift some health costs to feds, By Michael Gromley, Associated Press, January 12, 2010
Deadline looms over reform, By Chris Frates, Politico, January 12, 2010
House, Senate View Health Exchanges Differently, By Julie Rovner, NPR, January 12, 2010
FY 2008 Long Term Care Medicaid Services for Developmental Disabilities:
Institutional versus Community Expenditures, Information Bulletin # 298 from Steve Gold, January 11, 2010
Nancy Pelosi's uphill health bill battle, By Patrick O'Connor and Carrie Budoff Brown, Politico, January 09, 2010
FY 2008 Long Term Care Medicaid Services for Developmental Disabilities:
Institutional versus Community Expenditures, Information Bulletin # 297 from Steve Gold, January 07, 2010
3 Nursing Home Patients Killed by 'Chemical Restraints', By John Hendren, ABC News, January 05, 2010
Dem leaders to forgo conference, By Carrie Budoff Brown and Patrick O'Connor, Politico, January 05, 2009
Health debate resumes with WH meet, By Patrick O'Connor, Politico, January 04, 2010
Lawmakers begin resolving differences between the two chambers' health care overhaul plans, Kaiser Health News, Health on the Hill for January 04, 2009
FY 2008 Long Term Care Medicaid Services for Aged/Physically Disabled: Institutional versus Community Expenditures, Information Bulletin # 296 from Steve Gold, January 04, 2010
The House, Senate and You: A New Guide to Health Reform, By Jordan Rau, Julie Appleby, Phil Galewitz and Mary Agnes Carey, Kaiser Health News, December 24, 2009
Obama seeks to close the deal on healthcare reform in new year, By Sam Youngman and Bob Cusack, The Hill, December 23, 2009
Reid asks Senate to remain civil as chamber edges toward final vote, By Jeffery Young, The Hill, December 22, 2009
Senate advances landmark health bill, By Carrie Burdoff Brown and Meredith Shiner, Politico, December 21, 2009
Reid to unveil final offer on healthcare bill on Saturday morning, By Alexander Bolton, The Hill, December 18, 2009
Health care deadline obstacles pile up, By Carrie Burdoff Brown and Meredith Shiner, Politico, December 17, 2009
The Senate’s Game Changer, By David Herszenhorn, December 17, 2009
DeMint promises to delay health bill, force Christmas Eve vote, By Alexander Bolton, The Hill, December 17, 2009
Democrats Urged to Act on Health, By Greg Hitt and Janet Adamy, The Wall Street Journal, December 16, 2009
Sen. Reid bows to centrists, will drop Medicare buy-in provision to pass bill, By J. Taylor Rushing and Alexander Bolton, The Hill, December 14, 2009
High hurdles ahead for health plan, By Chris Frates, Politico, December 13, 2009
An Important Step for Seniors and Individuals With Disabilities, From the The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), December 10, 2009
Senate Democrats Near Deal On Health Care, By Julie Rovner, National Public Radio, December 09, 2009
The CLASS Act Survives Attempted Death-Blow, Remains in Senate Reform Bill, From the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL), December 07, 2009
Long slog seems likely on Senate health care bill, By Michael Riley, The Denver Post, December 03, 2009
Senators express hope for a health reform bill, By Shailagh Murray and Lori Montgomery, The Washington Post, December 02, 2009
As Senate begins debate on overhaul of the nation's health care system, Senators expected to offer an array of amendments, By Kaiser Health News, November 30 2009
CBO Says Premiums Would Fall For Individuals Getting Subsidized Coverage, By Julie Appleby, Kaiser Health News, November 30, 2009
Senate Debate on Health Bill Set to Begin Monday, By Naftali Bendavid, The Wall Street Journal, November 29, 2009
Health on the Hill: Panelists discuss the Senate's vote to begin debate on health reform legislation, By Kaiser Health News, November 23, 2009
Congress Targets Senior Abuse, By Rick Schmitt, Kaiser Health News, November 23, 2009
Health Haggling Heats Up, By Greg Hitt and Janet Adamy, The Wall Street Journal, November 23, 2009
Reid plan ups pressure on moderates, By Carrie Budoff Brown, Politico, November 18, 2009
Drug Makers Raise Prices in Face of Health Care Reform, By Duff Wilson, The New York Times, November 16, 2009
Govt: Medicare paid $47 billion in suspect claims,By Hope Yen,The Associated Press, November 15, 2009
Reid Prepared to Keep Senate in Session Thanksgiving Week, By Emily Pierce, Roll Call, November 13, 2009
Hoyer, Reid move to finish healthcare reform legislation before the end of 2009, By Jordan Fabian and Ian Swanson, The Hill, November 11, 2009
Pharma Deal With White House on Course to Net Industry Billions, By Sam Stein, The Huffington Post, November 11, 2009
In Chicago’s Nursing Homes, a Psychiatrist Delivers High-Risk Meds, Cut-Rate Care, By Christina Jewett, ProPublica, and Sam Roe, Chicago Tribune, November 10, 2009
Senate Democrats look to start health reform debate next week, By J. Taylor Rushing, The Hill, November 09, 2009
House of Representatives Makes History with Passage of Healthcare Bill, By the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL), November 09, 2009
Hoyer: Health debate could stretch past Saturday vote time, By Mike Soraghan and Jared Allen, The Hill, November 06, 2009
Health Bill Garners Endorsements, By Naftali Bendavid and Janet Adamy, The Wall Street Journal, November 06, 2009
Plan Creates New Program to Pay for Long-Term Care, By Anne Wilde Mathews, The Wall Street Journal, November 04, 2009
Federal Olmstead Enforcement by CMS - A New Day?, Information Bulletin # 295 from Steve Gold, November 02, 2009
After all the fuss, public health plan covers few, By Richardo Alonzo-Zaldivar, The Associated Press, November 01, 2009
GAO: Elderly, disabled voters still confront access problems, By McKnight's Long-Term Care News, October 29, 2009
House health compromise has 'public option' with a catch, By Noam N. Levey and Janet Hook, The Los Angeles Times, October 29, 2009
Newspaper Investigates Dangerous Mix Of Nursing Homes And Psychotropic Drugs, By Kaiser Health News, October 28, 2009
Act Now: Help Save the CLASS Act from Corporate Lobbyists!, From the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL), October 26, 2009
Senate on Verge of Health Bill, By Janet Adamy and Greg Hitt, The Wall Street Journal, October 26, 2009
Preparing for a Pandemic, State Health Departments Struggle With Rationing Decisions, By Sheri Fink, ProPublica, October 24, 2009
Scramble to parcel out H1N1 vaccine, By Rob Stein and Michael Laris, The Washington Post, October 23, 2009
Women with Disabilities and Health Care: What the Research Shows, By Kim Donahue, Disaboom, October 2009
Medicare Drug Planners Now Lobbyists, With Billions at Stake, By Olga Pierce, ProPublica, October 20, 2009
Chronic Illnesses More Often Undiscovered, Undertreated in Uninsured, By Elizabeth Cooney, The Boston Globe, October 20. 2009
Running the Health Care Gantlet, By Albert R. Hunt, The New York Times, October 18, 2009
Ad Audit: Do The Insurers' Claims Add Up?, By Jordan Rau, Kaiser Health News, October 16, 2009
Finance Committee Approves Health Reform Bill, Snowe Sides With Democrats, By Kaiser Health News, October 13, 2009
House Dems Seek Health Bill Support From Liberals, Women, And Even Republicans, By Kaiser Health News, October 09, 2009
Health Care Bill Gets Green Light in Cost Analysis, By Robert Pear and David M. Herzenhorn, The New York Times, October 09, 2009
Baucus not worried about CBO score, By Jeffrey Young, The Hill, October 05, 2009
Disability Rights Advocates praise Senator Baucus and other key Senators for addressing the institutional bias in Senate healthcare reform legislation, From ADAPT, September 23, 2009
Schumer introduces CFC Amendment in Senate Finance Committee’s health care reform bill!, From ADAPT, September 21, 2009
Helping Elderly Leave Nursing Homes for a Home, By John Leland, The New York Times, September 19, 2009
Tell Finance Committee that Community First Choice MUST be in HC Reform!, From Kansas ADAPT, September 17, 2009
Senate Bill Sets Lines for Health Showdown, By Greg Hitt, Jane Adamy and Johnathan Weisman, The Wall Street Journal, September, 17, 2009
Teleconference: Will health insurance reform mean security and peace of mind for people with disabilities?, September 17, 2009 at 1p.m., From the National Council on Independent Living, September 11, 2009
What he said, what he meant, By Carrie Budoff Brown, Politico, September 10, 2009
Baucus Proposal For Senate Finance Health Care Deal, By Kaiser Health News, September 08, 2009
$2.3 Billion Pfizer Settlement Is Not Enough to Deter Organized Crime in the Pharmaceutical Industry, Statement of Sidney Wolfe, M.D., Director, Public Citizen’s Health Research Group, September 02, 2009
Disability Leadership Meet With White House Staff on Health Reform, From the Disability Representatives Present at the White House, August 31, 2009
Senior Groups Reject Health Care 'Scare Tactics', By Laura Leslie, National Public Radio, August 30, 2009
At Sestak Town Hall, Disability Activists Draw Their Own Red Line on Long-Term Care Funding, By Daniel Denvir, The Huffington Post, August 28, 2009
Remembering Ted Kennedy, By Martin Kady II and Tim Greive, Politico, August 26, 2009
GOP Tees Up Medicare Manifesto, By Neil King, Jr, The Wall Street Journal, August 25, 2009
Policy Experts Call Fear of Medical Rationing Unfounded, By Reed Ableson, The New York Times, August 24, 2009
Health-Care Rate Setting and Our Political Leaders, Information Bulletin #293 from Steve Gold, August 24, 2009
'Mad Pride' Activists Say They're Unique, Not Sick, By Ia Robinson and Astrid Rodrigues, ABC News, August 24, 2009
Competition lacking among private health insurers, By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, the Associated Press, August 22, 2009
Most Americans Continue to Support Moving Ahead With Health Care Reform Now Despite Town Hall Fights and Ad Campaigns, From the Kaiser Family Foundation, August 20, 2009
Can Health Reform Pass? Experts Weigh In, By Kaiser Health News, August 20, 2009
The hidden truth behind drug company profits, By Johann Hari, The Independent/UK, August 05, 2009
Should Disability Funding Be Part of Health Reform?, By Ben Adler, The American Prospect, July 30, 2009
Obama Hedges on Mandatory Community Services, By Jennifer LeFleur, ProPublica, July 30, 2009
Democrats find momentum on reform, By Carrie Budoff Browm and Patrick O'Connor, Politico, July 30, 2009
Emerging Trends and People with Disabilities: Public Consultation, From the National Council on Disability, July 27, 2009
Obama's ADA Speech Bombs, From Josie Byzek's Tremors of Intent Blog at New Mobility Magazine, July 27, 2009
President Obama Meets Privately with 12 Disability Representatives, Promises to Continue the Dialogue, From the Natl. Council on Independent Living (NCIL), July 27, 2009
New Report Offers Policy Recommendations for Including Long-Term Care Services in Health Care Reform, From the SCAN Foundation, July 16, 2009
Senate panel passes health reform bill, By Jeffrey Young, The Hill, July 15, 2009
Still a long road ahead for health care, By Patrick O'Connor and Carrie Budoff Brown and Chris Frates, Politico, July 15, 2009
Advocate for Blind Helped Craft Disabilities Law, By T. Rees Shapiro, The Washington Post, July 12, 2009
National Poll Indicates Broad Public Support for Long-Term Care Reform, From the SCAN Foundation, July 08, 2009
Insured, but Bankrupted by Health Crises, By Reed Abelson, the New York Times, July 01, 2009
Advocacy Organizations and Informational Resources
ADAPT is a national grass-roots community that organizes disability rights activists to engage in nonviolent direct action, including civil disobedience, to assure the civil and human rights of people with disabilities to live in freedom.
BrainLine.org is a comprehensive website where people can find authoritative, useful, and timely information and resources preventing, treating, and living with traumatic brain injury. BrainLine includes special sections for people with TBI, their families and friends, and the professionals who work with them. With new information featured each week, the site is designed to be a helpful place where people can gather information, learn about new research, and find a community of support and hope.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), formerly known as the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), is the federal agency responsible for administering the Medicare, Medicaid, SCHIP (State Children's Health Insurance), HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), CLIA (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments), and several other health-related programs.
The Center for Personal Assistance Services provides research, training, dissemination and technical assistance on issues of personal assistance services (PAS) in the United States.
The Coalition for Community Integration (CCI) is working to change federal policy so that Americans with disabilities and older Americans have a real choice in long term services and supports. The Coalition is working toward passage of the Community Choice Act (S 683/HR1670) which would eliminate the institutional bias in Medicaid.
This section of Disability.gov offers a wide range of information and resources to help people with disabilities live independently and participate fully in all aspects of community life.
Disaboom.com was founded by Dr. J. Glen House, a physician specializing in physical medicine and rehabilitation who is also a quadriplegic. His firsthand knowledge of the challenges faced by individuals with disabilities and those whose lives they touch has driven the Disaboom.com mission: to create the first comprehensive, evolving source of information, insight, and personal engagement for the disability community.
The European Network on Independent Living (ENIL) is a European wide network of disabled people. It represents a forum intended for all disabled people, independent living organisations and their non-disabled allies on the issues of independent living and the independent living movement. ENIL and its member organisations believe that full citizenship and human rights for disabled people will only be achieved through increasing awareness, challenging traditional services and positive debate throughout Europe and internationally.
Families USA is a grassroots website for consumers about all kinds of health care coverage. They have several reports on various Medicaid programs and ideas on how to advocate for each state.
Independent Living Research Utilization (ILRU) provides research, education and consultation in the areas of independent living, the Americans with Disabilities Act, home and community based services and health issues for people with disabilities.
The Kaiser Family Foundation is non-profit, private operating foundation dedicated to providing information and analysis on health care issues to policymakers, the media, the health care community and the general public. The Foundation is not associated with Kaiser Permanente or Kaiser Industries.
Kaiser Health News (KHN) is a nonprofit news organization committed to in-depth coverage of health care policy and politics. KHN’s mission is to provide high-quality coverage of health policy issues and developments at the federal and state levels. In addition, KHN covers trends in the delivery of health care and in the marketplace. Their website also features daily summaries of major health care news from across the nation, as well as original videos and a broad range of commentary from contributing writers and experts.
The National Resource Directory provides wounded, ill and injured service members and veterans, their families, families of the fallen and those who support them with a web-based directory of valuable resources.
It delivers information on, and access to, the full range of medical and non-medical services and resources needed to achieve their personal and professional goals across the transitions from recovery to rehabilitation to community reintegration.
The National Council on Independent Living is the longest-running national cross-disability, grassroots organization run by and for people with disabilities. Founded in 1982, NCIL represents thousands of organizations and individuals including: Centers for Independent Living (CILs), Statewide Independent Living Councils (SILCs), individuals with disabilities, and other organizations that advocate for the human and civil rights of people with disabilities throughout the United States.
New Mobility Magazine encourages the integration of active-lifestyle wheelchair users into mainstream society, while simultaneously reflecting the vibrant world of disability-related arts, media, advocacy and philosophy.
Ouch! is a website from the BBC that reflects the lives and experiences of disabled people. It has articles, blogs, a very busy messageboard and an award-winning downloadable radio show - The Ouch Podcast. It's aimed at those with a stakehold in disability: family, friends, professionals and, rather importantly, disabled people themselves - without whom all this would be a bit meaningless.
Steve Gold's Nuggets is a website and listserve maintained by renowned disability rights attorney Steve Gold. It contains timely, useful information on topics of importance to people with disabilities, such as, housing, Medicaid, nursing homes and education.
Through the Looking Glass (TLG) is a nationally recognized center that has pioneered research, training, and services for families in which a child, parent or grandparent has a disability or medical issue.
Working Together: Personal Assistance Training and You provides training modules, online tools, links and additional informational resources to help you to hire, train and work with your personal assistant.
Publications
Annual Disability Status Reports, from Cornell University, provide policy makers, disability advocates, reporters, and the public with a summary of the most recent demographic and economic statistics on the non-institutionalized population with disabilities. They contain information on the population size and disability prevalence for various demographic subpopulations, as well as statistics related to employment, earnings, and household income. Comparisons are made to people without disabilities and across disability types. Disability Status Reports and other statistics are available for each state, DC, and Puerto Rico at www.DisabilityStatistics.org.
A Balancing Act: State Long-Term Care Reform Research Report, July 2008 - This AARP Public Policy Institute research paper examines the extent to which states have balanced the delivery of Medicaid-funded long-term care (LTC) services and supports to people in their homes (or in more home-like settings in their communities) and in institutions. What is unique about this report is its primary focus on older people and adults with physical disabilities separate from other LTC populations, such as people with developmental disabilities. The paper explores what states have been able to accomplish under current Medicaid law and addresses the impact that federal policies have on the states’ ability to balance service delivery.
The Community Choice Act: A Vision for Attendant Services and Supports for the New Millennium is a brochure designed to assist advocates in promoting the Community Choice Act (S 683/HR 1670). The Community Choice Act (CCA) would give individuals who receive Medicaid and who are eligible for nursing facility services or other institutional care equal access to community-based services and supports. It includes background information, a summary of the legislation, answers to frequently asked questions and talking points on CCA.
Diabetes and SCI is the first in a series of educational brochures by the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Spinal Cord Injury (RRTC on SCI)focused on specific health concerns and issues of long-term spinal cord injury survivors. This brochure is intended for spinal cord injury survivors living in the community to help maintain their health.
Do Noninstitutional Long-Term Care Services Reduce Medicaid Spending?, Kaye, H.S., LaPlante, M.P., & Harrington, C. (2009) - Medicaid spending on home and community-based services (HCBS) has grown dramatically in recent years, but little is known about what effect these alternatives to institutional services have on overall long-term care costs. This analysis of state spending data from 1995 to 2005 shows that for two distinct population groups receiving long-term care services, spending growth was greater for states offering limited noninstitutional services than for states with large, well-established noninstitutional programs. Expansion of HCBS appears to entail a short-term increase in spending, followed by a reduction in institutional spending and long-term cost savings.
Estimating the Expense of a Mandatory Home and Community-Based Personal Assistance Services Benefit Under Medicaid; Mitchell P. LaPlante, PhD, H. Stephen Kaye, PhD, Charlene Harrington, PhD, University of California San Francisco - Personal assistance services (PAS) are essential for many people of all ages with significant disabilities, but these services are not always available to individuals at home or in the community, in large part due to a significant bias toward institutions in the Medicaid program. This study aims to provide an estimate of the expense of a mandatory personal assistance services (PAS) benefit under Medicaid for persons with low incomes, low assets, and significant disability.
Going Home - Is a booklet about home and community based options to institutional care. It explains how TILRC can help you get the healthcare services and supports you need in your own home and community. (printable version in rtf format)
Genworth Financial Long-Term Care National Survey: Key findings from a national survey of 800 likely voters, conducted August 14-16, 2007. - The survey found that nearly seven in ten Americans have not made any plans for their own, a spouse's or another relative's long term care needs. Yet, over half those surveyed have had a loved one who needed some form of long term care. The poll also found that close to 80 percent of the respondents want to see long term care included in the healthcare proposals offered by the presidential candidates. More than 80 percent of those surveyed also said that positions on long term care funding will be an important factor in deciding who to vote for in the 2008 election.
Home and Community-Based Services: Public Policies to Improve Access, Costs, and Quality, University of California, San Francisco, Harrington, C., Ng, T., Kaye, S. & Newcomer, R. (January 2009). - The focus of this report is to examine issues of access, cost, and quality for Medicaid HCBS programs. The trends in state Medicaid HCBS programs, target groups, participants, and expenditures are summarized. The paper shows the progress in providing Medicaid HCBS but also identifies many current problems and policies. Inequities in access to services and limited funds result in unmet needs for HCBS. HCBS cost issues have been a primary focus of policy makers and quality problems are largely not addressed. Policy recommendations are made to improve access, costs and quality at the federal and state levels in the future. (report - pdf/html) (summary - pdf/html)
The Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Physically Disabled Waiver (HCBS/PD) Policy and Procedure manual contains the official policies and procedures to be used when providing services under the HCBS waiver for persons with physical disabilities.
ILRU Publications - ILRU has developed a variety of publications on independent living subjects, including a technical report series; monographs outlining the implications of health care reform for independent living; ADA resource materials available in both English and Spanish; directories of independent living centers and of independent living support materials; and handbooks providing background information on the independent living movement and on establishing and operating an independent living center.
INCITEMENT is the quarterly newsletter of the grassroots disability rights organization ADAPT. ADAPT's main issue is ending the institutional bias in feredral long-term healthcare policy so that people with disabilities can live in the community with real supports instead of being locked away in nursing homes and other institutions. Toward that end they are vigorously advocating for the passage of the Community Choice Act.
More Nonelderly Americans Face Problems Affording Prescription Drugs, Tracking Report No. 22, Laurie E. Felland, James D. Reschovsky - More children and working-age Americans are going without prescription drugs because of cost concerns, according to a new national study by the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC). In 2007, one in seven Americans under age 65 reported not filling a prescription in the previous year because they couldn’t afford the medication, up from one in 10 in 2003. Rising prescription drug costs and less generous drug coverage likely contributed to the growth in nonelderly Americans—from 10.3 percent in 2003 to 13.9 percent in 2007—who went without a prescribed medication.
The Prepared Lifestyle is a free 12-page booklet that provides easy-to-use checklists to guide you in preparing for seasonal and pandemic flu, severe storms, and other emergencies. This publication is produced by the Research and Training Center on Independent Living at the University of Kansas and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Bureau of Health Preparedness, with funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Taking the Long View: Investing in Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services Is Cost-Effective / Research Report March 2009— This AARP Public Policy Institute Insight on the Issues highlights research showing, over time, states that invest in home and community-based services (HCBS) experience slower Medicaid expenditure growth than states with low HCBS spending.
Testimony of Mitch LaPlante, Ph.D., Associate Professor, University of California,
San Francisco before the
Senate Finance Committee Hearing on "Home and Community Based Care: Expanding
Options for Long Term Care" Tuesday Sept 25th, 2007 at 10am, Dirksen Office Building
G-50