CMS: Older adults dominate HCBS participant numbers but not spending or time
By
Lois A. Bowers
Nov 14, 2016
Older adults and/or people with disabilities account for the majority of recipients of home- and community-based services funded through Medicaid Section 1915(c) waivers, although the average dollar amount...
Inadequate reimbursement threatens older adult access to assisted living
By
Michael S. Pochowski
Apr 17, 2023
A recent Washington Post article gave an incomplete view of the reality facing assisted living providers related to Medicaid reimbursement.
Provider groups decry ‘chronic underfunding’ as CMS introduces HCBS quality measures
By
Lois A. Bowers
Jul 22, 2022
The federal government’s introduction Thursday of quality measures for the home- and community-based services offered by assisted living and other providers comes in the midst of “longstanding, chronic...
Medicaid block grants will help address ‘looming cost crisis’ due to aging population, CMS says
By
Lois A. Bowers
Jan 31, 2020
The Medicaid block grant program announced Thursday by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services won’t directly affect elderly and disabled beneficiaries, CMS Administrative Seema Verma said, but...
Sunday is deadline for assisted living operators to submit relief fund applications
By
Lois A. Bowers
Sep 11, 2020
Sunday is the deadline for assisted living operators and all others applying for funding under the Provider Relief Fund phase 2 general distribution allocation to begin the application process by submitting...
Reporting COVID vaccination data to CMS would be ‘burdensome,’ ‘redundant’ for assisted living,...
By
Lois A. Bowers
Jul 14, 2021
Requiring assisted living providers to report weekly COVID-19 vaccination data to the federal government would add administrative and cost burdens to operators already challenged by the pandemic and even...
CCRCs, nursing homes see slower growth in use of services in 2018, CMS says
By
Lois A. Bowers
Dec 06, 2019
Spending on continuing care retirement communities and nursing care facility services increased 1.4% in 2018 to $168.5 billion, according to an analysis from the Office of the Actuary at the Centers for...
Assisted living threatened by looming federal expirations
By
Lois A. Bowers
Dec 02, 2019
A federal rule provision and a federal program, both of which help enable older adults to live in assisted living or at home rather than in nursing homes, are set to expire Dec. 31 unless Congress acts.
Past efforts point way to future success of Medicaid LTSS reform: report
By
Lois A. Bowers
Dec 08, 2017
As the population depending on Medicaid long-term services and supports grows, the experiences of several states offer lessons that providers can use to identify opportunities to collaborate with state...
Medicaid spent $776 million on HCBS waivers for older adults in 2014, CMS says
By
Lois A. Bowers
Nov 13, 2016
The Medicaid program spent almost $776 million on 1915(c) waivers to cover home- and community-based services for older adults in fiscal year 2014, according to a new report from the Centers for Medicare...