Medicare

With the advent of Multisector Plans for Aging (MPA), many states are contemplating how these plans can be aligned with other state planning efforts, including State Plans on Aging (SPA).

Generation’s new research, supported by The SCAN Foundation, which included survey responses from 2,610 employees over age 45 working in entry-level and mid-level roles and 1,488 employers, explores the challenges and opportunities facing midcareer and older workers in navigating the rise of AI in the workplace.

The “Toolkit for Developing Local Multisector Plans for Aging in Rural Areas,” developed in partnership with the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, is designed to support rural community leaders anywhere, whether in plains, deserts, or mountain regions.

Low- to moderate-income older adults face unique financial challenges and our project with the Financial Health Network (FHN) investigates how well fintech solutions on the market today are meeting these unique needs. The fintech market analysis is a key resource for innovators and investors to use in efforts to build better fintech solutions for lower-middle income older adults. GET THE BRIEF

Many Americans still lack access and the ability to afford long term services and supports. This Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) report highlights bipartisan paths to tackle the long-term care crisis. VIEW REPORT

Developed with funding from The SCAN Foundation, this toolkit is designed to help community based organizations learn how to identify and assess fintech solutions that support the financial well-being of your older adult clients. VIEW TOOLKIT

Developed with funding from The SCAN Foundation, RockHealth.org released “A Lens on Health Equity in Digital Health: Unlocking the Innovation Opportunity” in April 2024. This report synthesizes perspectives from industry leaders, identifying strategic avenues to drive health equity in the digital health sphere. The report also highlights underserved populations primed for digital health innovation, including older adults. VIEW REPORT

Financial security is fundamental to older adults’ choices in where and how they age. Yet many older adults are not financially secure – lacking retirement savings, emergency savings, and the financial management tools they need. In fact, 47 percent of older adults (ages 55+) don’t have the liquid savings needed to weather a financial shock. As more and more older adults leave the traditional workforce and their streams of income change, they need a wider variety of emergency savings tools. The SCAN Foundation partnered with the Aspen Financial Security Program to explore how we can tailor products and services to meet those needs and inspire market innovation. VIEW REPORT

In November 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported an increase in the age-adjusted suicide rate since 2021. The report details that in 2021 and 2022, people ages 75 and older had the highest suicide rate among all age groups, largely driven by males. This report is a salient indicator of the challenge of identifying and addressing suicide risk among older adults amidst the well-publicized mental health crisis in the United States. Underpinning this profound challenge are the direct connections between social isolation, neglect, and suicide. READ FULL STORY

The Interagency Coordinating Committee on Healthy Aging and Age-Friendly Communities (ICC), seeks to build upon government plans to develop a strategic framework for a national plan on aging. This strategic framework will be built upon the fundamental truth that older adults are of great value to our society as leaders, volunteers, experts, workers and contributors, with the recognition that often barriers prevent their engagement and health. VIEW FRAMEWORK

Since 2019, ATI Advisory and the Long-Term Quality Alliance, with support from The SCAN Foundation, have led national efforts to advance person-centered, non-medical supplemental benefits in Medicare Advantage. This resource center provides research and data for plans, providers, beneficiary advocates, policymakers, and other stakeholders to advance understanding and utilization of these benefits. All of our research is guided by the Supplemental Benefits Leadership Circle, a diverse group of experts across plans, providers, academia, and advocacy groups. VIEW REPORT

For over five years, NORC has been at the forefront of research focused on the Forgotten Middle, a term it coined in its landmark 2019 study to define middle-income older adults who are unlikely to qualify for Medicaid long-term care and do not have the financial resources to pay for certain housing and care supports. Since then, it has produced an updated national study with more recent data and designed a Forgotten Middle model specifically for California’s middle-income older adults. VIEW REPORT

In this pre-recorded webinar, Sarita A. Mohanty, President and CEO of The SCAN Foundation joins Purva Rawal of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation; Narda Ipakchi of The SCAN Foundation; Amber Christ of Justice in Aging; and Jessica Vida of the Commonwealth Care Alliance. This webinar identifies next steps to build the evidence base around nonmedical supplemental benefits in Medicare Advantage. A panel discussion explores these benefits from multiple perspectives, and highlights the importance of data collection efforts to evaluate their impact. WATCH THE WEBINAR

The California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) and California Department of Aging (CDA) published a provider-facing fact sheet that describes: Medicare covered behavioral health services; how providers can enroll to be a Medicare provider; and how providers can help Medicare beneficiaries access behavioral health services. This fact sheet was created with support from The SCAN Foundation through our broader DHCS Office of Medicare Innovation and Integration (OMII) initiative. It was published January 2024. VIEW FACT SHEET

This fact sheet covers: (1) Behavioral health services covered by Medicare, including treatment for mental health conditions (e.g., depression or anxiety), significant mental health needs (e.g.,
schizophrenia or bipolar disorder), and substance use disorders (e.g., alcohol or
opioid dependence); (2) How to enroll as a Medicare provider and participate in Medicare; (3) How providers can help Medicare beneficiaries access care; and (4) 2024 changes in Medicare for behavioral health. VIEW FACT SHEET