Low-income older Californians soon won’t need to prove their asset levels to be eligible for Medicaid long-term care, after the approval of a state plan amendment.
Interest in HCBS as growth strategy wanes among senior living providers
By
Kimberly Bonvissuto
Aug 10, 2023
Ready to put the COVID-19 pandemic behind them, senior living executives are preparing to push forward with growth plans — some in surprising ways, according to the newly released results of a recent…
CMS’ HCBS access rule adds burdens, industry says
By
Lois A. Bowers
Aug 09, 2023
Compensation spending requirement, quality measures are the focus of comments that groups submitted to the federal government.
White House calls for expanded HCBS in ADA commemoration
By
Kathleen Steele Gaivin
Jul 28, 2023
The White House on Wednesday called on Congress “to improve and expand home- and community-based services so more seniors and people with disabilities can live independently in their own homes.” The…
Provider group seeks 2-year moratorium on HCBS settings rule enforcement
By
Kimberly Bonvissuto
Jul 13, 2023
A new white paper from LeadingAge recommends a two-year enforcement moratorium on the federal government’s home- and community-based services settings final rule, saying that it is flawed policy.
Proposed federal quality measures could exacerbate providers’ financial woes, groups warn
By
Lois A. Bowers
Jul 07, 2023
Quality measures that are part of a proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services have the potential to burden assisted living providers financially and administratively, industry advocates…
CMS’ spending requirement in HCBS rule ‘not the right approach,’ senior living advocates say
By
Lois A. Bowers
Jul 06, 2023
A proposal that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services says is meant to “support and stabilize the direct care workforce” in home- and community-based settings, if it becomes final, ultimately…
Dollars spent on HCBS go further than those spent on nursing homes, study finds
By
Lois A. Bowers
Jun 29, 2023
Older adults are not “drawn out of the woodwork” to try to qualify for Medicaid benefits when a state expands home- and community-based services, according to the findings of a new study.
HCBS settings final rule ‘not a good fit’ for assisted living, provider group says
By
Lois A. Bowers
Jun 23, 2023
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services home- and community-based services settings final rule is written so broadly that its requirements “run in opposition to person centered planning” for older…
HCBS market recovers from drop that followed CMS proposal
By
Kathleen Steele Gaivin
Jun 12, 2023
Home- and community-based services markets are starting to recover after they “panicked” when the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in late-April proposed that 80% of Medicaid payments for HCBS…
CMS-proposed quality measure needs clarification on assisted living, provider groups say
By
Kimberly Bonvissuto
May 30, 2023
A federal proposal to establish a quality measure assessing inpatient discharges to home- and community-based settings for Medicaid enrollees has some leaders in the senior living industry concerned about…
CMS-proposed HCBS rules elicit request for extension of comment period from 5 associations
By
Lois A. Bowers
May 22, 2023
The executive directors of five national organizations are asking the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to extend by at least 30 days the comment periods for two proposed rules related to access…
New law tackles assisted living workforce, regulatory challenges
By
Kimberly Bonvissuto
May 09, 2023
A new state law will strengthen senior living providers’ ability to hire more caregivers and provide high-quality care, industry advocates say.
Providers need funding to improve Medicaid HCBS access, quality, advocates say
By
Kimberly Bonvissuto
May 01, 2023
Senior living advocates are applauding steps announced by the federal government to ensure equitable access to home- and community-based services provided via the Medicaid program, but they say that funding…
Updated: CMS proposes mandatory quality measures, other changes to HCBS program
By
Lois A. Bowers
Apr 27, 2023
Some quality measures for home- and community-based services would become mandatory under a proposed rule announced Thursday by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Several other changes related…
Better wages, working conditions key to attracting more workers to HCBS settings
By
Kimberly Bonvissuto
Apr 21, 2023
The size of the home- and community-based services workforce has not kept pace with expanding numbers of Medicaid program participants, according to a new study whose authors contend that better pay and…
Up to 80 percent of older adults unable to afford 4 years of assisted living: study
By
Kimberly Bonvissuto
Apr 20, 2023
Up to 80% of older adults have modest assets and would be unable to afford four years in an assisted living community or more than two years of nursing home care, according to a new study.
Federal efforts to strengthen care economy fall short for senior living, advocates say
By
Kimberly Bonvissuto
Apr 19, 2023
President Biden’s executive order on strengthening the care economy, although well-intentioned, does not offer adequate solutions for long-term care in part because it does not support assisted living…
Medicaid a major challenge to providing affordable assisted living, NCAL says
By
Kimberly Bonvissuto
Mar 30, 2023
The Medicaid program is one of the major challenges to the provision of affordable assisted living, according to a new white paper from the National Center for Assisted Living. At issue, according to the…
