In a new handbook from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services entitled "Coordination of Benefits and Third Party Liability (COB/TPL) in Medicaid," guidance is provided that services provided under the Older Americans Act are an exception to the "Medicaid is payer of last resort" rule.

ACL's Administration on Aging collects annual performance data from State Units on Aging about the Older Americans Act Title III and Title VII (Chapters 3 and 4) programs through the State Program Report (SPR). The agency has been working with the Aging Network to redesign the SPR.

week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a request seeking information and data on additional reforms and policy options that can be considered to accelerate the provision of home and community-based services (HCBS) to Medicaid beneficiaries, taking into account issues affecting beneficiary choice and control, program integrity, rate setting, quality infrastructure, and the homecare workforce. The issues addressed in this request for information are highly relevant to ACL’s mission and vision. We urge our stakeholders to review and comment.

November is National Native American Heritage Month and ACL joins the President in honoring the legacy of American Indians and Alaska Natives. According to the U.S. Census, there were more than five million Native Americans living in the United States in 2011. These individuals represent a rich and diverse culture that includes 566 federally-recognized tribes, each with its own traditions, beliefs, and history.

Family caregivers are the backbone of America’s long-term care system and are often referred to as selfless, tireless and courageous. Stepping in to provide care for a friend or loved one can be a rewarding and uplifting experience and reflects the very best in human nature. While family caregivers are all these things and more, they are human nonetheless. They are not immune to stress, fatigue, burnout or illness. In fact, research shows they may be more vulnerable in this regard.

At ACL, we believe that every person has the right to make choices and to control their own decisions. This right is independent of age or disability. This right also is not diminished by illness. People who have advanced illnesses should have control over their care and services.

This post tells the personal story of Cynthia LaCounte, about how her grandmother, a tribal elder of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa in North Dakota, prepared her to work on aging programs.

Fifty three years ago today, President John F. Kennedy signed a historic piece of legislation that we now know as the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act (DD Act). At the time, people with developmental disabilities (DD) faced exclusion from many spheres of public and private life, including most schools and community spaces. Many spent nearly their entire lives in large, state-run institutions that were often grossly underfunded and where reports of systemic abuse and neglect were common.

In 1999 Congress passed groundbreaking legislation which broke down barriers to employment for people with disabilities.

This post also appears on the HHS Blog. During National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), we celebrate the contributions of workers with disabilities and the value of a workforce that includes their skills and talents.