Illinois Department on Aging

The meeting focused on coordinating three initiatives aimed at reducing or deflecting individuals from institutional settings: the CARE Act, the Bridge Model, and the Nursing Home Deflection pilot. Participants discussed AARP's role in providing education on the CARE Act for patients, caregivers, and hospitals, including the development of informational resources and potential ID cards. Discussions also addressed the importance of collaboration between these programs and hospitals, identifying hospital partners in Illinois, and potential strategies for measuring cost savings and return on investment. The group explored training curriculum needs for Bridge coordinators, the use of screening tools like LACE to identify high-risk patients, and the necessity of establishing clear, short-to-long-term goals for effective initiative integration.

The committee reviewed the status of the state budget and payments for fiscal years 2016 and 2017. Discussions included updates on the Community Reinvestment Program, HHS Transformation initiatives focusing on consumer-centric service delivery, and the behavioral health landscape. The meeting also addressed performance measures related to the Medicaid Elderly HCBS Waiver, specifically the Participant Outcome Status Measures survey, and provided an overview of recent legislative bills affecting aging services, including changes to pre-admission screening, long-term care ombudsman jurisdiction, and financial exploitation reporting.

The agenda includes the introduction of new committee members, a review of the annual report to the General Assembly, and the consideration for approval of the rebalancing and home and community-based services initiatives. Additionally, the meeting will feature presentations on SEIU Health Care IL/IN and CMS Access Rules, a review of enrollment reports, and department updates regarding the multi-sector plan on aging, budget, and legislative initiatives.

The committee held a meeting covering several key topics, including a membership report introducing new members and an update from the Executive Committee regarding feedback on 2012 goals and objectives. A presentation on Affordable Care Act opportunities was provided, focusing on programs to rebalance long-term care, such as the Balancing Incentive Program, Community First Choice Option, and HCBS Plan Option 1915(i), as well as an overview of the Money Follows the Person project. Department updates included discussions on the Illinois Department on Aging's proposed budget and case management system, operational updates for Supportive Living Facilities from the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, progress on the transition coordinators portal pilot by the Illinois Housing Development Authority, and an overview of proposed budget changes by the Department of Human Services.

The committee held a meeting covering various administrative and policy topics. Key discussions included a membership update, an overview and approval of the 2012 report to the General Assembly, and updates from the executive committee. Workgroup reports were presented on housing and access to community settings, along with recommendations regarding service inventory and priority service area planning. Additionally, presentations were delivered on a new prescription monitoring project for long-term care and the results of a medication management information system (MMIS) pilot project.