Don’t Miss These Resources! Updated Statistics on HCBS Enrollment, Health Care Workforce and Health Spending; CMS Webinar

ANCOR is sharing the resources below because they are could be useful to our members’ advocacy efforts on the workforce crisis in supports for people with intellectual / developmental disabilities (I/DD), as well as create awareness of new trends in the health care space.

Kaiser Family Foundation Issues Updated HCBS Statistics: This issue brief presents Medicaid HCBS enrollment and spending data from the Kaiser Family Foundation’s 17th annual state survey. Key findings include that 4.6 million individuals (across all eligible populations) receive Home and Community Based Services (HCBS), with a bit over half of the enrollment coming from waivers. The national average cost of HCBS supports is $17,800, though there is significant variation among states.

Altarum issues two useful reports on the health field overall:

• The healthcare sector is fast adding jobs – read the full report here.
• Healthcare spending is rising in 2019, with nursing home spending rising the fastest – read the full report here. ANCOR note: This is relevant to I/DD supports because some people with I/DD who are on waiting lists for home and community-based services (HCBS) live in nursing homes while awaiting placement in HCBS settings.

The Center for American Progress has a new report on the long-term care workforce: The report highlights waiting lists for long-term supports and services, including for people with disabilities, and solutions aimed at the direct care workforce.

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) webinar on artificial intelligence (AI) grants: As follow-up to this story on CMS’ new competition to foster innovation in healthcare, ANCOR is sharing the CMS will be hosting a webinar on the competition on April 18 at 12:30pm ET. While not many additional details are available, registration is available here.