Lance's Corner

NYSDOH Highlights Healthy Aging Month

Sep 19, 2024

Per the notice below, the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) is highlighting Healthy Aging Month.

New York State Department of Health and State Office for the Aging Recognize Healthy Aging Month In September

Agencies Encourage Engaging in Healthy Activities and Taking Steps to Prevent Disease

The New York State Department of Health (DOH) and the New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA) are recognizing Healthy Aging Month in September by highlighting New York's programs that encourage a healthy lifestyle and promote the State's Age-Friendly Health System.

"The Department remains steadfast in our commitment to adopting and adapting policies to empower all New Yorkers to embrace healthy lifestyle choices that are critical to ensuring healthy aging,"  State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said.  "Among those healthy choices are ensuring protection from disease by getting vaccinated against viruses that can lead to serious health complications and even death, particularly for those with underlying medical conditions.  I recently signed standing orders to make it easier for every New Yorker to get these safe and protective vaccines."

COVID-19, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), and flu are respiratory viruses that typically circulate from fall through spring.  Vaccines to protect against infection are safe, effective, and readily available and are encouraged for the very young, those over age 60, individuals who are pregnant, or who have underlying medical conditions, such as diabetes or heart disease.  Commissioner McDonald recently signed standing orders that allow pharmacists across New York to administer COVID-19 and RSV vaccines without an individual prescription from a health care provider.  Additionally, with respiratory virus season now underway, the annual flu shot provides another layer of protection for individuals, their families and their communities to avoid spreading potentially serious and even deadly disease.  The Department of Health also maintains the NYS Vaccines for Adults Program (VFA), which provides vaccines at no cost to eligible adults.  The vaccines are distributed to health care facilities that are enrolled as VFA providers.

New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA) Director Greg Olsen said, "Our network of local offices for the aging and partners offers a multifaceted approach to support healthy aging for a diverse population of older adults, with an emphasis on high-need populations as well as helping older adults avoid conditions that may otherwise lead to higher needs.  That is the central goal of healthy aging, whether it's providing in-home supports, combatting social isolation, nutrition programming, or the array of other services and supports delivered by our network.  Under Governor Hochul's leadership, NYSOFA is proud to work with partners at all levels, public and private, to innovate and create the conditions for a truly age-friendly state."

NYSOFA and its network of 59 mostly county-based Area Agencies on Aging and their community partners serve approximately 1.3 million older New Yorkers annually.  This network provides over 20 core non-medical, community-based supports to help older adults age in place, overcome social isolation, and address social determinants of health.  This includes the nation's largest nutrition program for older adults, senior center programming, elder-abuse prevention and mitigation, health insurance counseling, personal care supports, transportation, case management, respite and caregiver services, social adult day services, legal services, health promotion and wellness, home modifications, part-time employment, training and placement assistance for low-income older adults, volunteer opportunities, and more.  In 2023, NYSOFA conducted a statewide community needs assessment survey that garnered 27,000 responses from older adults in every region of the state.  It found that 72% of older adults consider their overall health to be "excellent/good" and 78% called their community an "excellent/good" place to live, among other results.  NYSOFA data also shows that older adults served by the NYSOFA/aging services network also exhibit among the highest needs that are being addressed through preventive, community-based supports.  The average person on NYSOFA's caseload is 83 years old, female, lives alone, has four or more chronic conditions, and stays on NYSOFA's caseload for 6.4 years.  NYSOFA has additionally established over 20 public-private partnerships that are changing the landscape of aging services, making NYSOFA a leader among states in adopting technological approaches to some of the most complex issues confronting individuals as they age.  These low-cost, high impact digital solutions are helping to combat loneliness and social isolation while improving overall health and wellness.  Learn more by reading our new Innovations in Aging report.  Among these innovations are: a free online community for older adults to connect with one another through NYSOFA's partnership with GetSetUp; the ElliQ proactive care companion utilizing AI for NYSOFA clients experiencing social isolation; a statewide caregiver portal through Trualta and assessment tool through ARCHANGELS to provide evidence-based support and awareness of caregiving intensity while connecting to supportive resources; NYSOFA's initiative providing animatronic companion pets to isolated older adults; and more.

Age-Friendly Initiatives and the Master Plan for Aging

The Age-Friendly Health System reinforces the State's commitment to making sure the evolving health care system in New York remains focused on identifying paths to improve health and wellness, strengthen the State's focus on age-friendly communities, and enhance the overall quality of life for all generations of New Yorkers.  The State's Age-Friendly Health System Initiative began in 2017, the same year AARP singled-out New York as the first Age-Friendly State in the nation.  In 2018, the State reinforced its commitment by encouraging health systems across New York to adopt age-friendly policies and programs, resulting in a robust response from 248 health systems in New York State that have achieved that recognition.  Both DOH and NYSOFA, in partnership with other state agencies, local governments, and community stakeholders, continue to draft the groundbreaking Master Plan for Aging (MPA), an evolving blueprint of strategies to ensure older adults and individuals of all ages can live healthy, fulfilling lives while aging with dignity and independence.  To learn more about the MPA or to share your thoughts, send an e-mail to: MPA@health.ny.gov.  Healthy aging across the lifespan is a cross-cutting principal that also underpins the State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP), also known as the New York State Prevention Agenda, which is a strategic plan of health priorities that aim to improve health outcomes and reduce health disparities for all New Yorkers across the state.  The Prevention Agenda focuses on five key priority areas – prevent chronic diseases, promote a healthy and safe environment, promote healthy women, infants and children, promote well-being and prevent mental and substance use disorders, and prevent communicable illness.  Each priority area is accompanied by a priority-specific action plan that includes focus areas, goals, objectives, and measures, and provides a menu of evidence-based interventions to be implemented by community partners in accomplishing Prevention Agenda goals, including reducing health disparities among racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups, age groups, and persons with disabilities.  Additional information about community programs, including chronic-disease self-management, nutrition counseling, socialization, and caregiver assistance is available on the New York Connects website here or by calling 1-800-342-9871.

USDOL Issues Comprehensive Employer Guidance on Long COVID

The United States Department of Labor (USDOL) has issued a comprehensive set of resources that can be accessed below for employers on dealing with Long COVID.

Supporting Employees with Long COVID: A Guide for Employers

The “Supporting Employees with Long COVID” guide from the USDOL-funded Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion (EARN) and Job Accommodation Network (JAN) addresses the basics of Long COVID, including its intersection with mental health, and common workplace supports for different symptoms.  It also explores employers’ responsibilities to provide reasonable accommodations and answers frequently asked questions about Long COVID and employment, including inquiries related to telework and leave.

Download the guide

Accommodation and Compliance: Long COVID

The Long COVID Accommodation and Compliance webpage from the USDOL-funded Job Accommodation Network (JAN) helps employers and employees understand strategies for supporting workers with Long COVID.  Topics include Long COVID in the context of disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), specific accommodation ideas based on limitations or work-related functions, common situations and solutions, and questions to consider when identifying effective accommodations for employees with Long COVID.  Find this and other Long COVID resources from JAN, below:

Long COVID, Disability and Underserved Communities: Recommendations for Employers

The research-to-practice brief “Long COVID, Disability and Underserved Communities” synthesizes an extensive review of documents, literature and data sources, conducted by the USDOL-funded Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion (EARN) on the impact of Long COVID on employment, with a focus on demographic differences.  It also outlines recommended actions organizations can take to create a supportive and inclusive workplace culture for people with Long COVID, especially those with disabilities who belong to other historically underserved groups.

Read the brief

Long COVID and Disability Accommodations in the Workplace

The policy brief “Long COVID and Disability Accommodations in the Workplace” explores Long COVID’s impact on the workforce and provides examples of policy actions different states are taking to help affected people remain at work or return when ready.  It was developed by the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) as part of its involvement in USDOL’s State Exchange on Employment and Disability (SEED) initiative.

Download the policy brief

Understanding and Addressing the Workplace Challenges Related to Long COVID

The report “Understanding and Addressing the Workplace Challenges Related to Long COVID” summarizes key themes and takeaways from an ePolicyWorks national online dialogue through which members of the public were invited to share their experiences and insights regarding workplace challenges posed by Long COVID.  The dialogue took place during summer 2022 and was hosted by USDOL and its agencies in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Surgeon General.

Download the report

Working with Long COVID

The USDOL-published “Working with Long COVID” fact sheet shares strategies for supporting workers with Long COVID, including accommodations for common symptoms and resources for further guidance and assistance with specific situations.

Download the fact sheet

COVID-19: Long-Term Symptoms

This USDOL motion graphic informs workers with Long COVID that they may be entitled to temporary or long-term supports to help them stay on the job or return to work when ready, and shares where they can find related assistance.

Watch the motion graphic

A Personal Story of Long COVID and Disability Disclosure

In the podcast “A Personal Story of Long COVID and Disability Disclosure,” Pam Bingham, senior program manager for Intuit’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Tech team, shares her personal experience of navigating Long COVID symptoms at work.  The segment was produced by the USDOL-funded Partnership on Employment and Accessible Technology (PEAT) as part of its ongoing “Future of Work” podcast series.

Listen to the podcast

HHS OIG Issues Annual Report on State MFCUs

Per the notice below, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has issued its annual report on the performance of state Medicaid Fraud Control Units (MFCUs).

Medicaid Fraud Control Units Fiscal Year 2023 Annual Report (OEI-09-24-00200) 

Medicaid Fraud Control Units (MFCUs) investigate and prosecute Medicaid provider fraud and patient abuse or neglect. OIG is the Federal agency that oversees and annually approves federal funding for MFCUs through a recertification process. This new report analyzed the statistical data on annual case outcomes—such as convictions, civil settlements and judgments, and recoveries—that the 53 MFCUs submitted for Fiscal Year 2023.  New York data is as follows:

Outcomes

  • Investigations1 - 556
  • Indicted/Charged - 9
  • Convictions - 8
  • Civil Settlements/Judgments - 28
  • Recoveries2 - $73,204,518

Resources

  • MFCU Expenditures3 - $55,964,293
  • Staff on Board4 - 257

1Investigations are defined as the total number of open investigations at the end of the fiscal year.

2Recoveries are defined as the amount of money that defendants are required to pay as a result of a settlement, judgment, or prefiling settlement in criminal and civil cases and may not reflect actual collections.  Recoveries may involve cases that include participation by other Federal and State agencies.

3MFCU and Medicaid Expenditures include both State and Federal expenditures.

4Staff on Board is defined as the total number of staff employed by the Unit at the end of the fiscal year.

Read the Full Report

View the Statistical Chart

Engage with the Interactive Map

GAO Issues Report on Medicaid Managed Care Service Denials and Appeal Outcomes

The United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) has issued a report on federal use of state data on Medicaid managed care service denials and appeal outcomes.  GAO found that federal oversight is limited because it doesn't require states to report on Medicaid managed care service denials or appeal outcomes and there has not been much progress on plans to analyze and make the data publicly available.  To read the GAO report on federal use of state data on Medicaid managed care service denials and appeal outcomes, use the first link below.  To read GAO highlights of the report on federal use of state data on Medicaid managed care service denials and appeal outcomes, use the second link below.
https://www.gao.gov/assets/d24106627.pdf  (GAO report on federal use of state data on Medicaid managed care service denials and appeal outcomes)
https://www.gao.gov/assets/d24106627_high.pdf  (GAO highlights on federal use of state data on Medicaid managed care service denials and appeal outcomes)

CMS Issues Latest Medicare Regulatory Activities Update

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued its latest update on its regulatory activities in the Medicare program.  While dentistry is only minimally connected to the Medicare program, Medicare drives the majority of health care policies and insurance reimbursement policies throughout the country.  Therefore, it always pays to keep a close eye on what CMS is doing in Medicare.  To read the latest CMS update on its regulatory activities in Medicare, use the link below.
https://www.cms.gov/training-education/medicare-learning-network/newsletter/2024-03-14-mlnc