The final report for the National Quality Forum’s (NQF) Measuring Home and Community-Based Services Quality project is now available. NQF, under a contract with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), convened a multi-stakeholder committee to develop recommendations for the prioritization of measurement opportunities to address gaps in home and community-based services (HCBS) quality measurement.

September is National Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Awareness Month. The National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR), one of ACL’s newest divisions, funds the NIDILRR’s Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems (SCIMS) Program. The SCIMS program was established in 1970s, and conducts research on recovery and service delivery outcomes individuals with SCI.

Please note that the comment period has been extended thru October 7th. CMS’s Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services and the Medicare-Medicaid Coordination Office is seeking feedback from the public (including impacted populations, payers, policy makers, service providers, and others) on specifications and justification for quality measures currently under development and testing. The measure concepts address the following areas and/or populations:

Last month, investigators from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)'s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD), partnering with researchers from the University of New Mexico, published an article in the American Journal of Public Health entitled "Prevalence and Causes of Paralysis—United States, 2013." The article estimated and characterized the number of people living with paralysis in the United States.

Last month, ACL hosted a staff professional development workshop to learn about an example of a long-term services and supports system embracing person-centered thinking, planning, and practices.  The District of Columbia's No Wrong Door system has incorporated the approach throughout all aspects of home and community-based services for older adults and people with disabilities, including independent living and behavioral health services.

Last week, the Advisory Committee on Increasing Competitive Integrated Employment for Individuals with Disabilities (ACICIEID) sent its final report to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor.

ACL’s Administration on Aging announced the release of $1,050,000 to the nationally-recognized senior advocacy organization Justice in Aging to create a new National Center on Law and Elder Rights (NCLER). The NCLER will support ACL’s ongoing efforts to protect the rights, financial security, and independence of older adults.

ACL is excited to announce the first-ever grant to establish a National Resource Center for Self-Advocacy (NRCSA) to empower people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) for enhancing their voice on issues important to their well-being and daily life. Self Advocates Becoming Empowered (SABE) will lead the effort in partnership with several organizations.

ACL recently awarded grants to eight states to support lifespan respite care programs with the goal of improving the delivery and quality of respite services available to families across the age and disability spectrum. Maryland and Mississippi were awarded new state grants totaling $400,000 for three-year projects. The funding will be used to plan, establish, and expand lifespan respite care systems that provide new and planned emergency respite services, train and recruit respite workers and volunteers, and assist caregivers with accessing needed services.

CMS is seeking input on Medicare Physician Fee Schedule proposals. With this rule, CMS aims to improve how Medicare pays for primary care for people with multiple chronic conditions, cognitive impairment, and mobility-related impairments. More specifically, CMS is proposing: