Tens of millions of Americans will need a mix of health and long-term care services during the next three decades. On June 25, 2013, over 100 long-term care policy experts, stakeholders, and students participated in NASI's policy seminar to discuss promising initiatives at the federal, state and community level to reform existing delivery systems. This policy seminar was held just two days before the first meeting of the Congressional Long-Term Care Commission. By September 30, 2013, the Commission is expected to recommend ways to improve how the United States delivers and finances long-term care.  

The first panel of the seminar focused on "Recent Developments in Long-Term Care" and featured the following speakers:

• Edo Banach, Senior Advisor, Federal Coordinated Health Care Office of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
• James Toews, Senior Policy Advisor, Administration for Community Living (ACL)
• Ahaviah D. Glaser, Legislative Assistant, Office of Senator Jay Rockefeller, IV
• Sophie Kasimow, Staff Director, Subcommittee on Primary Health and Aging, Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, U.S. Senate

Speakers highlighted recent developments for two leading initiatives: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services national demonstration for dually eligible beneficiaries, and Administration for Community Living (ACL) program efforts to track and improve the consistency and quality of various home and community-based services for low-income adults age 60 and older. They also discussed the services options for dual eligibles in states that are not participating in the national demonstration; the role that the aging services network intends to play in working with new models of integrated care (e.g., Accountable Care Organizations); and the expanding role of managed care in organizing both institutional and home and community-based services.

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The second panel of the seminar focused on "Delivering Long-Term Care at the State Level" and featured the following speakers:

• Joshua Wiener, Program Director, Aging, Disability and Long-Term Care Program, RTI International
• Joanne Lynn, M.D., Director, Center for Elder Care and Advanced Illness, The Altarum Institute
• Anne Montgomery, Visiting Scholar, National Academy of Social Insurance 
• Martha Roherty, Executive Director, National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities

Speakers in this second panel discussed recent and projected major trends at the state level in delivering LTC. They also discussed promising community-based pilots that work to create local networks of providers in order to better serve vulnerable populations, such as frail elders and individuals with disabilities.

View videos and download presentations from Joshua Wiener and Joanne Lynn, M.D.