| Livability Measured - Surprise Medical Bills - Older Women Workers |
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| Policy Plus Action | The AARP Public Policy Institute Newsletter |
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Typically known as in-law suites or guest houses, accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, enable people to stay in their communities, and that’s why the newest version of the AARP Livability Index includes an ADU housing-policy measure. As the index reveals, ADU-friendly zoning regulations are gaining ground in many places, but challenges remain. The inclusion of this key area in the updated Livability Index provides feedback on how individual communities are doing.
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A new federal law protects those with private health insurance coverage from getting blindsided with surprise and often large medical bills, yet implementation is complex. To start, the No Surprises Act, which took effect January 1, adds to the protections of surprise-billing laws already on the books in 33 states. Some of the key provisions include requirements for insurers and providers to share information about protections with consumers, good faith estimates, protections during emergency care services, and exceptions for notice and consent. Paramount for an effective roll out is careful planning, seamless coordination between
federal and state laws, and proper consumer communication. Read the report and watch the latest Policy Now video on the topic.
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While the number of Americans ages 50 and older were food insecure in 2020 varied little from 2019 despite the pandemic, there were significant differences among demographic groups. Among older adults, food insecurity—having limited or uncertain access to adequate, nutritious food—is most prevalent among those who are ages 50-59; are Black, Native American, or Hispanic; are lower income; live alone; and have lower levels of educational attainment. Additionally, of the more than 9 million older adults who faced food insecurity nationwide, the highest rates were in southern states. These findings reflect longstanding
disparities driven by inequalities in employment, housing, and health care.
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The pandemic halted a decades-long trend of older women’s growing labor force participation, and their participation has yet to recover. Older women, particularly those ages 65+, maintained the greatest increases in labor force participation between 2000 and 2010 and the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) expected that growth to continue through the 2020s. But the pandemic saw older women experience some of the highest unemployment rates. BLS seasonally adjusted data continues to reflect this shift, with about 450,000 fewer women ages 55 and older in the US labor force in February 2022 than in February 2020.
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COVID-19 cases and deaths in nursing homes declined dramatically for the four weeks ending March 20, according to the latest update of the AARP Nursing Home COVID-19 Dashboard. Reflecting the receding Omicron surge, rates of resident and staff cases declined more than 90 percent from two months prior. Resident deaths were down 80 percent from the previous month. While staffing shortages declined for a second month, nearly one-third of nursing homes reported a shortage of nurses or aides. Fully vaccinated and boosted residents rose slightly to 68 percent from 64 percent; however, booster uptake among staff remains low at 42 percent.
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Recent trends in utilization management, or UM, in health insurance marketplace plans may require further examination to better understand if and how it might limit appropriate access to prescription medications for enrollees ages 50 to 64. UM embodies a variety of tools used by insurers to ensure consumers have access to proper care and services while controlling costs. Health plans apply UM to balance drug spending, but there are concerns this practice may limit access, as the percentage of covered brand-name drugs subject to UM has increased in several therapeutic areas. At the same time, the percentage of brand-name drugs covered by
marketplace plans has decreased.
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Advance practice registered nurses now have full practice authority in New York, providing the state’s residents with improved health care access. The policy was part of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s state budget signed into law April 9, making New York the 25th state plus the District of Columbia in recognizing nurse practitioners’ full practice authority. The move will help expand access to rural and medically underserved areas, control costs, and help effectively manage chronic conditions. Kansas followed suit a week later, bringing to 26 the number of states to adopt full practice authority.
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Editor-in-Chief: Susan C. Reinhard, RN, PhD, FAAN
Senior Writer/Editor: Carl Levesque |
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