Medicare Open Enrollment Resources Posted

Medicare Open Enrollment is approaching, October 15.  In preparation, materials are being released to be shared with consumers, colleagues and others who may assist Medicare consumers.

  • The attached Press Releases announce the Medicare Advantage landscape.
  • The Medicare Health & Drug Plan Finder  will be updated with the 2023 Medicare health and prescription drug plan information on October 1, 2022. 1-800-MEDICARE is also available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to provide help in English and Spanish as well as language support in over 200 languages. People who want to keep their current Medicare coverage do not need to re-enroll.
  • To help with their Medicare costs, low-income seniors and adults with disabilities may qualify to receive financial assistance from the Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs). The MSPs help pay Medicare premiums and may also pay Medicare deductibles, coinsurance and copayments if people meet the conditions of eligibility. Enrolling in an MSP offers relief from these Medicare costs, allowing people to spend that money on other necessities like food, housing or transportation. Individuals interested in learning more can visit here. 
  • To view the premiums and costs of 2023 Medicare Advantage and Part D plans, please visit: https://www.cms.gov/medicare/prescription-drug-coverage/prescriptiondrugcovgenin

Select the various 2023 landscape source files in the downloads section of the webpage.

Shareable Social Media, Videos, TV & Radio Ads will be placed in the CMS Medicare Open Enrollment website located  HERE. 

ARC Chartbook Provides Updated Look at Appalachia

ARC has released its 12th annual update of The Appalachian Region: A Data Overview from the 2016-2020 American Community Survey. Written in partnership with Population Reference Bureau, “The Chartbook” features over 300,000 data points on Appalachia’s economy, income, employment, education, and more prior to–and during–the first 10 months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2022 report indicates that Appalachia was improving in educational attainment, labor force participation, income levels, and reduced poverty prior to the onset of COVID-19 in March 2020. However, unique vulnerabilities among the region’s oldest, youngest, and most rural residents were likely exacerbated by the pandemic.

“Each year, The Chartbook provides critical data about the Appalachian Region, enabling policymakers and ARC partners to make data-driven economic development decisions. This particular report, however, may be one of the most critical to date,” said ARC Federal Co-Chair Gayle Manchin.

Lack of Naloxone Led to Increased Overdose Deaths in Rural Pennsylvania, Study Finds

Naloxone, originally approved by the FDA under the brand name Narcan, is an anti-overdose, therapeutic medication

Pennsylvania has one of the highest rates of opioid overdose in the nation, and, according to Penn State researchers, one’s chances of surviving that overdose can depend on where the person lives.

Using data from the Pennsylvania Overdose Information Network from the years 2018-20 and American Community Survey data from 2015-19, Penn State geography researchers looked at the prevalence of overdoses in the state and found the availability of the anti-overdose therapeutic Naloxone to be a key factor in overdose survival. The findings were reported in the Journal of Drug and Alcohol Dependence.

Data showed individuals who received at least one dose of Naloxone were nine times as likely to survive an overdose. Naloxone was administered in about 75% of the survival cases and just 29% of fatal overdose cases.

Yet, the availability of the drug at the time of overdose ranged between 41%-47% in the lowest counties such as nearby Clinton and Huntingdon Counties to 92% in Philadelphia County, the highest. In broad strokes, lesser populated counties had less access to the life-saving treatment, with exceptions for Centre and Mercer Counties, which fared better than similarly populated counties.

“One of the main goals of this research is to inform public health practitioners and policymakers who have the capacity to do something about the distribution of Naloxone, which is clearly effective,” said Louisa Holmes, assistant professor of geography at Penn State, member of Penn State Social Science Research Institute’s Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction (CSUA) and lead author of the study. “It gives leaders a target for combating the opioid epidemic by saving lives.”

Data showed 82% of Pennsylvania adults survived opioid overdoses. In 2020, there were 4,314 opioid related deaths in the state, a 16% increase over 2019, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, opioid overdose deaths have increased steadily from 1999 to 2018, before ballooning in 2020 after a dip in 2019, resulting in the first multi-year decrease in life expectancy in more than 50 years.

The increase in overdose deaths coupled with the effectiveness of Naloxone prompted the Office of the Surgeon General in 2018 to call for its increased distribution. Similarly, Pennsylvania issued standing orders in 2015 and updated in 2022 authorizing anyone to obtain Naloxone, although it leaves decisions to stock the drug up to pharmacists. A recent survey of Pennsylvania pharmacies found 55% did not stock Naloxone, and the majority of pharmacists were unclear on policies related to the standing order. The survey also found out-of-pocket Naloxone prices in 2017 to range from $50 to $400.

Using data for 16,673 unique overdose incidents occurring in Pennsylvania, researchers found 13,724 people survived, while 2,949 did not. About 70% of the deaths were male, 53.5% were ages 25-39 and 90% were white. About 33% of the victims lived in the most rural portions of the state, versus 28% who lived in the most populated areas.

Researchers say the data point to a need for more comprehensive and consistent access to Naloxone for emergency responders, agencies, opioid use disorder patients and their families, citing the effectiveness of programs such as community distribution of Naloxone kits, which cut overdose deaths by 42%. Measures such as expanding take-home Naloxone programs, overdose response training and pharmacist education could also save lives, researchers said.

Although Pennsylvania law allows first responders such as EMTs and police officers to administer Naloxone, researchers said such training is scarcer in rural areas.

This research is related to more broad efforts by the CSUA, which is a large collective of substance-based addiction researchers, practitioners and educators across all of Penn State’s campuses that work on everything from opioids to e-cigarettes to alcohol. Holmes was hired in 2019 among a team of researchers tasked with addressing addiction research.

“The expanding research being done by the CSUA on these topics further positions Penn State as a leader both regionally and nationally,” said Brian King, head of the Department of Geography and co-author of the research. “It is a testament to how research at this institution directly impacts residents in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.”

HHS Approves Groundbreaking Medicaid Initiatives in Massachusetts and Oregon

 Initiatives will ensure children in Oregon have continuous Medicaid coverage until the age of six, and expand access to coverage and address nutrition and housing needs in Massachusetts and Oregon

 Approvals of the initiatives come during the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, taking direct action on the Biden-Harris Administration’s National Strategy to end hunger, reduce diet-related diseases, and eliminate health inequities

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), approved groundbreaking Medicaid section 1115 demonstration initiatives in Massachusetts and Oregon. Both demonstrations aim to test improvements in coverage, access, and quality with innovative approaches to ensure more eligible people retain their Medicaid coverage, including by approving Oregon’s demonstration to keep children enrolled in Medicaid up to age six — preventing gaps in coverage that can cause children to lose access to needed care in their formative early years.

The initiatives also take steps to address unmet health-related social needs, such as by giving Massachusetts and Oregon new authority to test coverage for evidenced-based nutritional assistance and medically tailored meals, clinically-tailored housing supports, and other interventions for certain beneficiaries where there is a clinical need. These efforts coincide with the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, where the Biden-Harris Administration released its national strategy to end hunger, improve nutrition and physical activity, and reduce diet-related diseases and disparities – all goals supported by the initiatives approved today.

“This is an historic moment in our nation’s fight to end hunger and improve health equity, particularly in states like Oregon and Massachusetts,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “Groundbreaking action in each state will ensure children and youth remain connected to health care, and that we double down on tackling social needs impacting health, such as nutrition. Everyone should get the access to care they need to live safe and healthy lives.”

“I’m proud to partner with Oregon and Massachusetts to improve quality and access, reduce health disparities, and improve health equity, for those who need it most. For the first time ever, children with Medicaid coverage in Oregon will be able to keep their coverage until the age of 6 — ensuring they can get the care they need during their formative years. This is just one aspect of the groundbreaking demonstration initiatives that I’m approving today,” said CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. “These states are also partnering with community-based providers to address the root social causes of health concerns, like lack of access to nutritious food and housing insecurity. We applaud Massachusetts and Oregon for helping us use every tool available to protect and expand access to high-quality, comprehensive, affordable health care coverage.”

Under the Biden-Harris Administration, thanks to the American Rescue Plan and other Administration efforts, more Americans than ever before have health insurance coverage. Today’s approvals will build on these efforts and support President Biden’s executive orders in April 2022 and January 2021 directing federal agencies to take action to expand affordable, quality health coverage, including by strengthening Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act.

Both demonstrations approved today will work to improve enrollment and continuity of coverage. In Oregon, children determined eligible for Medicaid will be able to stay continuously enrolled until they turn six years old, without their families needing to renew their coverage. This will minimize red tape for both families and the state, and help to ensure access to care throughout this critical period of early childhood. Individuals older than six will be able to keep their coverage for up to two years, even if their household income fluctuates. Massachusetts will provide up to 12 months of continuous coverage for Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) beneficiaries upon release from correctional settings and 24-months of continuous eligibility for beneficiaries with a confirmed status of chronic homelessness, eliminating gaps in coverage for these vulnerable populations.

Evidence indicates that health-related social needs, such as food insecurity and housing instability, are critical drivers of an individual’s health outcomes. With this demonstration, Massachusetts will receive expanded authority to provide certain time-limited housing supports, clinical nutrition education, and medically-tailored food assistance services when medically appropriate. These services will be available to a range of at-risk populations, including postpartum individuals for up to 12 months. Massachusetts will also provide additional meal support for certain households when an eligible beneficiary is a child or pregnant woman with special clinical needs. Oregon will expand health-related social needs coverage for certain food assistance, housing supports, and other interventions that are medically appropriate for individuals experiencing certain life transitions, including individuals who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. In both states, the time-limited housing and nutritional support services provided in the demonstration can be expected to stabilize the housing and nutritional circumstances of these Medicaid enrollees and thus ensure that they will keep receiving and benefiting from the Medicaid-covered services to which they are entitled.

Massachusetts will also be implementing an innovative Hospital Quality and Equity Initiative for private acute hospitals and the Commonwealth’s only non-state-owned public hospital, Cambridge Health Alliance. The initiative is expected to reduce health inequities by improving outcomes in populations that are likely to face barriers to quality health care. As such, the demonstration is likely to help improve the quality of care and is also likely to reduce health disparities through this value-based care approach.

CMS will require both states to systematically monitor the demonstrations and conduct rigorous independent evaluations to determine the outcomes and impacts.

For additional information about the Massachusetts’ MassHealth Section 1115 Demonstration, please visit: https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/82006.

CMS Releases 2023 Premiums, Deductibles and Coinsurance Amounts for Medicare 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the 2023 premiums, deductibles, and coinsurance amounts for the Medicare Part A and Part B programs, and the 2023 Medicare Part D income-related monthly adjustment amounts.

Please review the Fact Sheet at https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/2023-medicare-parts-b-premiums-and-deductibles-2023-medicare-part-d-income-related-monthly.  For more information on the 2023 Medicare Parts A and B premiums and deductibles (CMS-8077-N, CMS-8078-N, CMS-8079-N), please visit https://www.federalregister.gov/public-inspection/current.

HHS Invests over $104 Million to Expand Substance Use Treatment and Prevention in Rural Communities to Combat the Overdose Epidemic

In support of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Overdose Prevention Strategy, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announced investments of over $104 million to expand treatment and prevention services for substance use in rural communities nationwide as part of the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP), a multi-year initiative aimed at reducing the morbidity and mortality of rural Americans from substance use. Today’s funding also supports the President’s National Drug Control Strategy and delivers on his Unity Agenda priority of beating the overdose epidemic.

“The overdose epidemic continues to take too many lives and leave too many loved ones heartbroken – including in our rural communities,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “The Biden-Harris Administration has made addressing the nation’s addiction and overdose epidemic a top priority, and at HHS we are taking every opportunity to ensure everyone – no matter who they are or where they live – has access to the critical care and support they need. This funding will help communities save lives by expanding treatment opportunities and prevention for substance use.”

This funding will help rural communities address difficulties they face in providing and accessing substance use treatment, as nearly 37 percent of rural counties

lack at least one clinician who can prescribe the opioid treatment buprenorphine. Rural communities in particular have experienced a consistent rise in drug overdose deaths, with a nearly five-fold increase from 1999 to 2019. Opioid-involved overdose deaths, especially those involving fentanyl, have increased significantly across the United States since 2019.

“Today we are taking action to support the critical needs of rural communities by expanding access to opioid use disorder treatment,” said HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson. “Too often, the needs and challenges of rural communities are not well understood, but at HRSA, we are focused on reaching the rural communities that need our support the most and helping them tackle the overdose crisis.”

Today’s announcement highlights funding through the following three programs:

To learn more about HRSA’s Rural Communities Opioid Response Program, visit https://www.hrsa.gov/rural-health/opioid-response.

You’re Invited! Join RWJF’s Virtual Gallery Opening

What if the solution you are looking for can be found in another country? 

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is pleased to present The Blue Marble Gallery, an online collection of works from changemakers in various continents, designed to inspire your journey toward health equity. Discover how people across the globe are impacting child care, nutrition, urban design, and more to unveil fresh solutions and unlock new possibilities for your community.

Join us to celebrate the opening of the Blue Marble Gallery on October 18, 2022 at 1:00 p.m. ET . The exhibit will be available on our website for a limited time, so reserve your spot today.

At the virtual reception, you’ll get an exclusive look at this pop-up exhibit and have the chance to reflect with others on how ideas from other countries and cultures can inspire change here in the United States.

Register to participate >>

Medicare Publishes 2023 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums, Deductibles, 2023 Medicare Part D Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amounts

On September 27, 2022, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the 2023 premiums, deductibles, and coinsurance amounts for the Medicare Part A and Part B programs, and the 2023 Medicare Part D income-related monthly adjustment amounts.

Please see the FACT SHEET- 2023 Medicare Parts A B Premiums and Deductibles for detailed information.

2020 Small Area Health Insurance Estimates (SAHIE) Now Available

The Small Area Health Insurance Estimates (SAHIE) is the only source of single-year health insurance coverage estimates for all counties in the U.S. The estimates are provided by select demographic and economic characteristics (by age and sex groups and at income levels that reflect thresholds for federal and state assistance programs). The state estimates are also provided by race and Hispanic origin. The data are now available on the Census Bureau’s website athttps://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/sahie.html.

See 2020 COUNTY and STATE estimates of people with and without health insurance coverage by:

  • Age groups: Under 65 years, 18-64 years, 21-64 years, 40-64 years, 50-64 years, under 19 years
  • Sex groups: Both sexes, male only, female only
  • Income groups: All incomes, <=200%, <=250%, <=138%, <=400%, 138-400% of poverty
  • Estimates for the under 19 years group are available for just the six income categories listed above
  • For states only: White alone, not Hispanic; Black alone, not Hispanic; and Hispanic (any race)