Age, Gender & Gender Identities

The number of older adults at risk of and currently experiencing homelessness has increased rapidly in recent years, a trend that is projected to continue and further accelerate. Older adults at risk of or experiencing homelessness have unique needs compared to other populations experiencing homelessness.

This report presents the set of guiding principles for linking state Medicaid data with birth certificates that was developed by state and national experts and leaders. These guiding principles can be implemented to create a multistate linked database that researchers would be able to access and use for research on maternal health, including patient-centered outcomes research (PCOR).

Home and community-based services (HCBS) are a range of medical and non-medical services provided in the home and community that support individuals with functional limitations, enabling them to reside in the community rather than in institutional settings.

This report describes validation of claims-based frailty algorithms for potential use in Medicare claims. Related Products:

RAND identified use cases on identifying frailty using electronic health record (EHR) data in health systems in the US and examples from other countries, which demonstrate applications in both primary and specialist care. The final EHR implementation guide summarizes the learnings from participants in the EHR Learning Network and the identified use cases.

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is helping people with Medicare afford their medications, including the 2.1 million Asian, 5.8 million Black, and 5.3 million Latino Part D enrollees. These fact sheets review existing research to present the projected impacts of key IRA Medicare drug-related provisions for these populations.

During the COVID-19 public health emergency, states used Appendix K, a standalone appendix available during emergency situations, to modify their existing Medicaid HCBS 1915(c) waiver programs. Using Appendix K, states can make to make temporary changes to access and eligibility, payment, services, and other aspects of their waiver programs.

Despite the increasing evidence of high suicide rates and associated risk factors for older adults in the United States, the number of programs addressing these risk factors remains limited.

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) authorizes the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to negotiate prices directly with participating manufacturers for selected drugs that are high expenditure, single source drugs without generic or biosimilar competition.

As the United States population ages, a larger proportion of individuals will likely need and use long-term services and supports (LTSS). Much of this support is provided by informal (i.e., unpaid) caregivers. For those that need paid LTSS, most Americans pay out-of-pocket. Some may do so until their personal resources are exhausted, and then rely on the Medicaid safety net.