NADSA Policy Alerts
Urge the US Congress and US Senate to Challenge the Federal Grants Pause. NADSA urges you to contact your US Congressional Representative and US Senators representing your state today to educate these leaders about the potential and existing impacts to your ADS center and its participants due to the federal government’s decision to pause federal grants and loans that took place on Monday. Read more…
Harris-Walz campaign proposes Medicare Benefits to Cover Home Health Care. Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday (October 8) proposed broadening Medicare benefits to cover home health care for the first time, as she seeks to appeal to Americans caring for both children and aging parents. Read the NADSA response from Board Chair Bill Zagorski. Read more…
CMS Releases New Guidance to Ensure Continuity of Key Flexibilities Implemented During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. CMS sent a letter earlier this week to states regarding an extension of Medicaid flexibilities granted during the Public Health Emergency (PHE). It provides states with the ability to maintain these flexibilities they may have been granted if they request amendments to their waivers to do so. Read more…
National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP). New NASHP Report: Emerging Respite Care Strategies in Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services Waivers for Older Adults, Adults with Physical Disabilities, and their Family Caregivers Read more…
CMS/ACL Strategy. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a strategy for implementation of the home and community-based settings regulation, in partnership with the Administration for Community Living (ACL), that aligns the focus of federal support and state compliance activities with the realities of the direct-service workforce crisis exacerbated by the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE). Read more…
White House Announces New Plan to Increase COVID-19 Vaccinations. President Biden announced last night several additional measures to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Two areas outlined below could be applicable to some if not all NADSA Members. Read more…
NADSA Creates Information Sharing Platform for American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Funding: NADSA’s information sharing platform will help provide examples for members to use as a template to request access to funding due to the increased federal funding for home and community-based services (HCBS) from ARPA. Read more…
American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 Includes One Year 10 Percentage-point Increase to the (FMAP) to States for HCBS Medicaid Expenditures: The American Rescue Plan Act increases federal funding for home and community-based services (HCBS). Specifically, states can receive a 10 percentage-point increase to the federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) they receive for certain Medicaid expenditures for HCBS. This “FMAP bump” is available for one year, from April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022. Read more…
HCBS funding in the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA): The following link provides information about HCSB funding in ARPA and how additional funding is being sought in the proposed American Jobs Act (AJA) and President Biden’s Non-Defense Discretionary (NDD) budget proposal: 041421-HMA-Roundup.pdf.
Administration for Community Living (ACL): We are focused on the unprecedented opportunities in front of us to advance community living and to advocate for full access and inclusion for all people, regardless of disability, age or race. We are working to quickly distribute the grants announced on Monday, which represent a first-ever partnership with CDC to invest in our networks to provide critical services and supports to ensure equity in access to COVID-19 vaccines for the people we all serve. Yesterday, the White House published a fact sheet on the President’s American Jobs Plan. One of its key areas of focus is supporting the caregiving infrastructure by expanding home and community-based services for people with disabilities and older adults. We are looking forward to working with the administration, and with our stakeholders, as that effort moves forward.
Draft Proposal for HCBS Act: Congress Considers Making HCBS a Medicaid Entitlement; Advocacy Will Be Needed to Assure Adult Day Services Are Included. Read more…
Action Requested to Re-establish House Select Committee on Aging: ADS providers are asked to email communication to urge their Congressional Representatives to co-sponsor and support Rep. David Cicilline’s H.Res.821. Read more…
$15 Minimum Wage Reimbursement Needed: Urgent Action Needed Regarding $15 Minimum Wage and Medicaid Reimbursement. Read more…
NADSA Submits Comments on Regulation Rule: NADSA submitted comments to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) proposed rule, “Securing Updated and Necessary Statutory Evaluations Timely.” Read more…
Advocate for Priority Inclusion in COVID-19 Vaccine Distributions: ADS Providers Must Advocate to Their State Administrators for Priority Inclusion in COVID-19 Vaccine Distributions. Read more…
Request CDC Includes ADS Centers for COVID-19 Vaccine: ADS providers must advocate to ensure the CDC adds Adult Day Service Centers/Adult Day Health Centers to the list of priorities for the COVID-19 vaccine. Read more…
NADSA Partners with Aging Organizations to Advocate for COVID-19 Funding: NADSA is working with the Modern Medicaid Alliance and LeadingAge in seeking additional funding for COVID-19 relief. Read more…
CALL TO ACTION—HEROES 2.0: NADSA members are asked join other national organizations to request the U.S. Senate to pass HEROES 2.0. Read more…
PPP Loan Forgiveness Simplified: The forgiveness process for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans up to $50,000 will be significantly simplified. Read more…
Call to End U.S. Senate Inaction: Contact your US Senators and urge them to support and improve the enhanced FMAP proposal. Read more…
Veterans Administration Transportation Program Update: ADHCs will no longer be contracted through local VA medical centers (VAMCs) with individual providers, but providers will now be able to become a part of the Community Care Network (CCN) which will be administered with by Optum or Tri-West. Read more…
HCBS Rule Extension: The HCBS Settings Rule has been extended for two years to March 17, 2023. Read more…
State Budget Deficits Threaten Adult Day Services: NADSA members are urged to write and telephone to the offices of your United States Senators to urge immediate action on H.R. 6800 before states are forced to cut essential programs for seniors and individuals with disabilities. Read more…
Congress to Approve Coronavirus SBA Loans: Congress expects to appropriate an additional $310 billion for Coronavirus emergency Small Business Administration (SBA) Loans. Read more…
Veterans Administration Publishes New Guidance for Community ADHC Amended Service Delivery: The VA published the following guidance on April 13 and was disseminated to all VAMCs. Read more…
Contact Your Congressional Representative and US Senators for ADS Support! NADSA is urging its members to contact their Congressional Representative and US Senators to support COVID-19 relief funding for Adult Day Services. Read more…
NADSA and LeadingAge Send Joint Letter to Congress Seeking COVID-19 Relief Funding: NADSA and LeadingAge jointly sent a letter to Congressional Leaders urging them to include funds specifically for Adult Day Centers in the next Coronavirus emergency legislation. Read more…
NADSA Coronavirus Update: NADSA is taking to help ADS centers deal with
the ongoing impacts of the coronavirus. Read more…