Weekly News Wrap-Up (October 5 - October 9)

Senate Finance Committee Set to Vote on Healthcare Reform Bill (McKnight’s Long-Term Care News & Assisted Living, October 9, 2009)
The Senate Finance Committee is planning to vote on its healthcare reform measure Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said. He made the announcement after the Congressional Budget Office released findings that the proposal is estimated to cost $829 billion over 10 years.

AHRQ: Fall-Related Injuries Land 1 in 10 Seniors in Emergency Room (McKnight’s Long-Term Care News & Assisted Living, October 8, 2009)
Injurious falls among elderly adults accounted for 1 in 10 emergency department visits among those 65 and older in 2006, according to a new report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Medicaid Spending for Home- and Community-Based Care Soars, Report Finds (McKnight’s Long-Term Care News & Assisted Living, October 7)
Medicaid spending for home- and community-based services (HCBS) skyrocketed by 81.5% between fiscal years 2001 and 2007, according to a report released Tuesday by the National Center for Assisted Living. Meanwhile, spending on nursing homes grew by a modest 9.8% during that time.

Nursing Homes Facing Major Challenges to Medicaid, Medicare, Yarwood Says (McKnight’s Long-Term Care News & Assisted Living, October 6, 2009)
Bruce Yarwood, president and CEO of the American Health Care Association, Monday likened the problems facing long-term care to a “tsunami.”

CDC Recommends Pneumonia Vaccine and Flu Vaccine For Seniors This Year (McKnight’s Long-Term Care News & Assisted Living, October 5, 2009)
Seniors aged 65 and older should consider getting vaccinated against pneumonia as well as the seasonal influenza strain, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend in a new report.

The National Advisory Board (NAB) was Invited to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Annual Summit to Present “Declaration for Independence” and Discuss State Long Term Services and Supports Programs
Four members of the NAB told an audience of legislators from across the country that the NAB’s Call to Action to transform our health care system to address long term services and supports was about people, not programs. Len Kirschner, Rob Sweezy, Jane Woods and Chuck Graham spoke to the National Conference of State Legislators on a panel entitled “Transforming the Systems of Care for Seniors and People with Disabilities.” The panel was moderated by Senator Renee Unterman (GA) who also serves as the Chair of NCSLs Human Services and Welfare Committee.