January 21, 2020

In this Issue:

1. Call for Session Proposals for 2020 Consumer Voice Conference
   
2. Consumer Voice Executive Director Speaks About Nursing Home Evictions in Articles from Next Avenue
   
3. New Issue Brief on Jimmo v. Sebelius
   
4. 2019 Annual Report from the Elder Justice Coalition
   
5. New Fact Sheet from Justice in Aging on Coverage Changes for Opioid Treatments for Dual Eligibles
   
6. Reminders:
   
• Webinar this Thursday on Patient Driven Payment Model
• Consumer Voice Seeking Spring Interns
  

Call for Session Proposals for 2020 Consumer Voice Conference

 Consumer Voice is seeking proposals for sessions at the 44th Annual Conference - October 25-28, 2020 in Arlington, Virginia.  Each year, the Consumer Voice hosts a conference to educate and empower consumers and consumer advocates.  The conference covers long-term care issues, including current trends, best practices, advocacy opportunities, and new research. Attendees come to learn, network, and exchange ideas with advocates from all over the country.

We are looking for proposals that create an engaging, informative conference agenda that provides resources, tools, opportunities for discussion, and strategies our attendees can incorporate in their life and/or advocacy.  
 

Two easy steps to submit a proposal -

1. Review the Call for Proposals and Presenter Requirements.
2. Submit your proposal via Survey Monkey. NOTE: You will not be able to save incomplete submissions in SurveyMonkey, so you may want to review and print or save the PDF version of the proposal questions so you can plan your responses prior to starting the submission.

Consumer Voice Executive Director Speaks About Nursing Home Evictions in Articles from Next Avenue

Consumer Voice Executive Director Lori Smetanka was interviewed for a series of articles from Next Avenue addressing the topic of nursing home evictions.  Nursing Home Eviction? Know Your Loved One's Rights, the first article in the series, recounts stories of residents being evicted from their nursing home or assisted living facility.  It also reviews residents' rights and offers tips for families.  “The facility has a responsibility to meet the needs of the individual. If they accept a person, essentially, they are saying they are able to meet those needs. They cannot ask a resident to waive their rights," Lori says in the article.  How to Cope with a Nursing Home Eviction, the second article in the series, offers further tips for what to do if you or your loved one receives a discharge notice.

The threat of transfer or discharge from a nursing home can be both frightening and stressful for residents and their families.  Consumer Voice has a variety of resources and materials about your rights and what to do next if you've been given a discharge notice.

New Issue Brief on Jimmo v. Sebelius

The Center for Medicare Advocacy has published an issue brief for Medicare providers on the Jimmo v. Sebelius settlement.  Jimmo v. Sebelius was a class-action lawsuit brought against the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).  The case's settlement agreement required CMS to confirm that Medicare coverage is determined by a beneficiary's need for skilled care, not on a beneficiary's potential for improvement.  This settlement applies to all Medicare beneficiaries.  The issue brief provides information to providers about what Jimmo means for patients and how it is implemented. Get the issue brief »

2019 Annual Report from the Elder Justice Coalition

Reminders:

• Webinar This Thursday on Patient Driven Payment Model
• Consumer Voice Seeking Spring Interns