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As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, states have taken a number of Medicaid policy actions to address the impact on seniors and people with disabilities, many of whom rely on long-term services and supports (LTSS) to meet daily needs and are at increased risk of adverse health outcomes if infected with coronavirus.
President Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden hold widely divergent views on health issues, with the president’s record and response to the coronavirus pandemic likely to play a central role in November’s elections. A new KFF side-by-side comparison examines President Trump’s record and former Vice President Biden’s positions across a wide range of key health issues, including the response to the pandemic, the Affordable Care Act marketplace, Medicaid, Medicare, drug prices, reproductive health, HIV, mental…
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to renewed interest among policymakers, the media, residents, and their families in nursing home regulation and oversight, as residents and staff are at increased risk of infection due to the highly transmissible nature of the coronavirus, the congregate nature of facility settings, and the close contact that many workers have with patients. This issue brief answers key questions about nursing home oversight under Medicare and Medicaid and explains how federal…
In his Axios column, Drew Altman discusses new data on the surge of new infections in long-term care facilities in COVID-19 hotspots. The dominant narrative about the Sunbelt surge in new cases is that the infected population is younger, but he says that’s not the whole story. There is also a spike in cases in long-term care facilities, especially in Florida and Texas.
In his Axios column, Drew Altman discusses new data on the surge of new infections in long-term care facilities in COVID-19 hotspots. The dominant narrative about the Sunbelt surge in new cases is that the infected population is younger, but he says that’s not the whole story. There is also a spike in cases in long-term care facilities, especially in Florida and Texas.
LTC cases in hotspot states are increasing at 4x the rate as LTC cases in non-hotspot states. Media has largely focused on the share of cases attributed to a younger population. However, increased cases in long-term care facilities are cause for concern, given that nearly half of all COVID-19 deaths have been in long-term care facilities. This piece provides state-level data, including data that shows that long-term care cases in Texas and Florida have increased…
In response to the widespread concerns about the high numbers of coronavirus cases and deaths in long-term care (LTC) facilities, CMS recently implemented new COVID-19 data reporting requirements for all federally certified nursing facilities. The newly-released federal data builds on state-reported data that has been included in many, but not all, states’ regular coronavirus reporting for several weeks. However, preliminary analysis indicates that the federal data will not reveal the full extent of the crisis…
This issue brief identifies key themes in policy changes states are making under Appendix K authority to adapt Medicaid HCBS programs in light of the COVID-19 emergency.
More than 10,000 residents and staff in long-term care facilities across the U.S. have died from COVID-19 infections, according to a KFF analysis of state data. That number is an undercount since not all states are currently reporting such data. Among those reporting data, the largest death tolls as of April 23 were in several Northeastern states, including New York (3,505 deaths), New Jersey (2,050), Massachusetts (1,205) and Pennsylvania (845). The data also show that…
This data note provides detailed state-level data on numbers and shares of cases and deaths due to COVID-19 in long-term care facilities. This data note also provides information on state variation in LTC facility cases/deaths reporting patterns.
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