Weekly News Wrap-Up (November 23 - November 27)

Department of Health and Human Services to Offer $80 Million in Information Technology Grants (McKnight’s Long-Term Care News & Assisted Living, November 25, 2009)
The Department of Health and Human Services Tuesday disclosed that it will provide $80 million in grants to help develop and strengthen the health information technology workforce.

Senate to Debate Healthcare Bill, Elder Abuse Gains Attention (McKnight’s Long-Term Care News & Assisted Living, November 24, 2009)
The U.S. Senate over the weekend narrowly approved a motion to begin debate on its version of healthcare reform. The legislation includes a significant expansion of the Elder Justice Act and other provisions affecting seniors and long-term care.

Senate Votes to Begin Debate (The Washington Post, November 23, 2009)
The Senate voted 60-39 to begin debate on a mammoth overhaul of the health care system. Almost as soon as the votes were counted, Democratic leaders went to work on a round of negotiations to keep the measure alive. They know they need all of their 60 votes to overcome a potential Republican filibuster. Several centrist Democrats said some changes must be made if they are to support the measure on the final vote. “We can only see the finish line,” said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. “We have not yet crossed it.”

Healthcare Information Technology Has Not Saved Facilities Money, Report Says (McKnight’s Long-Term Care News & Assisted Living, November 23, 2009)
Despite claims of significant cost savings, so far implementation of healthcare information technology “hasn’t saved a dime,” according to a new report from researchers at Harvard Medical School.

National Family Caregivers Association Sponsors Free Teleclass and Webinar for Family Caregivers (National Family Caregiver Association (NFCA), November 2009)
National Family Caregivers Month is proclaimed every November as a time to thank, support, educate and empower all those providing care to loved ones with chronic ailments, disabilities, or frailties of old age.

The NAB Co-Convenes “Long Term Services and Supports in Health Reform Solutions Summit (2009)”
The NAB joined George Mason University Long-Term Care Educational Foundation and Amerigroup Public Policy Institute at the Capitol Hill Visitor Center in Washington D.C. to provide a forum for key Congressional staff, policy analysts and LTSS experts to review the role and relevance of LTSS in health reform, synthesize health reform proposals with LTSS principles, experience and evidence, and discuss how major strategies for broad-based health reform can include LTSS for seniors and people with disabilities.