This Week's Updates
Alaska Department of Health sent this bulletin at 06/27/2025 03:15 PM AKDT
ACoA Elder Listening Sessions in July
ACoA Elder Listening Sessions in Nome, Shishmaref and Unalakleet July 8-11
Alaska Commission on Aging's Program Coordinator will be traveling to Nome, Shishmaref and Unalakleet July 8th - 11th despite the travel freeze. Thanks to UAA's ANCOR, our Program Coordinator Yasmin Radbod will be traveling with Dr. Steffi Kim to host Elder Listening Sessions, share dementia research and education, and present on senior resources. Click here to view the Facebook post to share, including flyers.
Department of Health Senior & Disabilities Services (SDS) Updates
WARNING - Fraudulent Medicare Records Request Scam
The Division of Senior and Disabilities (SDS) has been alerted to a fraudulent fax demanding providers to submit all their Medicare patient records within 72 hours. THIS IS A SCAM. The attached flyer is a redacted example of the fraudulent fax being sent to providers.
Please DO NOT submit any records to the fax number provided, or via any other method of communication.
Even though the fax contains the official Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) logo as well as from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and appears to be sent from staff at “CMS Program Integrity,” this is NOT A VALID RECORDS REQUEST.
Inflationary Adjustments to Payment Rates for Medicaid Waiver and State Plan Services for State Fiscal Year 2026
The Division of Senior and Disabilities Services (SDS) announces that payment rates for Medicaid home and community-based waiver and state plan services will receive a 3.2% inflation increase on July 1, 2025. The attached rate charts reflect this increase and will be posted on the SDS webpage.
This increase will be added into the Medicaid Management and Information System (MMIS) so claims for services delivered on and after July 1 are processed accordingly. SDS will be working to update and make available all forms and documents that display specific rates.
Questions? Email doh.sds.info@alaska.gov
GCDSE Advocacy Update
The Governor's Council on Disabilities and Special Education shared the following documents:
Nearly 250,000 Alaskan children and adults rely on Medicaid for healthcare and support which includes doctor visits, medicine, therapy, and personal care services. Other topics in OBBBA impact our rural hospitals, SNAP benefits, and so much more. Without these services and programs, thousands of Alaskans could lose the help they need to stay healthy—and in some cases, stay alive. Below is the GCDSE newsletter, with a plain version, outlining information and contacts for action.
- Newsletter Version ED Fed Changes.pdf
- 2025.6.25.ATFM Letter to Alaska Delegation - Cuts to Medicaid and Snap.pdf
- Accessible Version ED Message Fed Changes.pdf
For example, Homer residents, health care advocates and workers gathered Wednesday, June 18, to speak out against proposed cuts included in the House budget reconciliation bill. Read the story in Homer News.
Statewide Independence Living Council: Alaskans Together for Medicaid Letter
The Statewide Independent Living Council of Alaska (SILC) is committed to promoting a philosophy of consumer control, peer support, self-help, self-determination, equal access, and individual and systems advocacy. They work with partners to increase accessibility and the integration of individuals with disabilities into the mainstream of society.
Read this letter from SILC and Alaskans Together for Medicaid Coalition.
AARP Alaska: Scam Alert!
Virtual Alzheimer's Caregiver Summit: A Peer-Led Dive into Mood, Memory & More June 30
Join the Caregiver Action Network for the free, virtual Alzheimer’s Caregiver Summit: A Peer-Led Dive into Mood, Memory & More on June 30th at 9am AKST, a virtual, peer-led event dedicated to empowering caregivers navigating Alzheimer’s and Neuropsychiatric Symptoms (NPS). NPS are the behavioral symptoms like aggression, agitation, hallucinations, and delusions that commonly appear with Alzheimer’s or similar conditions. These symptoms present unique challenges in terms of diagnosis and management.
DOT Human Services Transportation Meeting July 8
Projects selected for funding must be included in a locally developed, coordinated public transit-human services transportation plan.
5310 provides grant funds for capital (such as new or replacement vehicles, computer hardware or software, purchase of services), and operating expenses to recipients for:
- Public transportation projects planned, designed, and carried out to meet the special needs of seniors and individuals with disabilities when public transportation is insufficient, inappropriate, or unavailable;
- Public transportation projects that exceed the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.);
- Public transportation projects that improve access to fixed-route service and decrease reliance on complementary paratransit; and
- Alternatives to public transportation projects that assist seniors and individuals with disabilities with transportation.
Anchorage Transportation Surveys Available Now
ALSC Updates
Free Legal Help for Alaska's Veterans
Alaska Legal Services Corporation receives funding from the Bob Woodruff Foundation for their work serving veterans and military families in Alaska facing critical civil legal issues, helping them stay housed, access benefits, and resolve legal challenges impacting their health, safety, and long-term stability.
As a leader in the military and veteran community, the Bob Woodruff Foundation ensures that our nation’s veterans, service members, and their families—those who stood for us—have stable and successful futures.
To learn more about ALSC's work with veterans and military families, view the flyer here.
Apply for help at https://www.alsc-law.org or by calling 1-888-478-2572.
Free Legal Consultation for Caregivers in Partnership with Alzheimer's Resource of Alaska
As dementia progresses, a person often needs more care and oversight than can safely be provided at home. What are your options and how do you plan ahead for this possibility?
ALSC is partnering with Alzheimer’s Resource of Alaska to offer free 30-minute consultations. Meet with an ALSC attorney to better understand your legal needs, ask questions based on individual needs, discover available options, and find the right resources to help. Please understand, this is not legal advice but rather an opportunity to ask general questions about legal topics to help you decide your next steps.
Free 30-minute online consultations on Tuesday, July 8 from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM
To schedule yours, contact Gay Wellman: 907-822-5620 or gwellman@alzalaska.org
Time slots are limited. Call today!
National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care Letter to US Senate
Consumer Voice, with nearly 100 state and national organizations, sent a letter to Senate leaders urging the Senate to stand with older and disabled people and oppose the reconciliation bill. As the letter details, this bill will have a devastating impact on recipients of Long Term Supports and Services, particularly nursing home residents, recipients of home health care, and residents of assisted living facilities.
"Medicaid is the primary funder of all LTSS in the United States, paying for over half of all LTSS. 60% of nursing home residents rely on Medicaid to pay for their care. For most Americans, Medicaid is the only way they can afford long-term care. Nursing home care is extremely expensive. In 2023, the median annual cost of a private room in a nursing home was $116,000.
Without Medicaid, many individuals in need of critical medical services will be forced to go without. While nursing home services are a mandatory Medicaid service, many Medicaid services are not. The proposed cuts will inevitably force states to cut back on non-mandatory services, 86% of which are provided to people with disabilities and older adults. Over half of this spending is on Home and Community Based Services (HCBS). HCBS allows over 7.8 million individuals to receive nursing care services at home, avoiding more costly institutional care.5 Faced with Medicaid budget shortfalls, states will be forced to cut HCBS programs, therefore driving more individuals out of their homes and into institutions and further raising costs."
Administration for Native Americans (ANA) Virtual Pre-Application Training July 8-9
Use your project to learn hands-on how to assemble an application specific to ANA’s funding announcements and requirements. Join the virtual pre-application training 9:00am to 12:00pm on July 8th and 9th online.
After the training you will be able to make one-on-one appointments with the Alaska ANA team.
The application deadline for Social & Economic Development Strategies (SEDS) for Native Americans and Social and Economic Development Strategies for Alaska (SEDS-AK) is July 22nd at 8:00pm AKST.
Please note: Grants.gov will be down for maintenance July 19th - 21th.
Applicants can request application review by ANA on a first come, first serve basis. ANA will review your 75% complete application.
Click here to submit an application review request.
Live Pre-Application Q&A Sessions: Ask your questions! ANA will work with applicants one-on-one as best they can. Click on the session below to register.
Session 1 (Morning) July 1st, 10:00am to 12:00pm
Session 2 (Afternoon) July 1st, 2:00pm to 4:00pm
Session 3 (Morning) July 7th, 10:00am to 12:00pm
Session 4 (Afternoon) July 7th, 2:00pm to 4:00pm
Ask ANA Questions: Reach out with any general questions you have while compiling your application.
Click here to submit your questions. Call ANA at 1-800-948-3158.
Check out the Alaska Region Training and Technical Assistance Center ANA Facebook page.
Seamless Transitions: Supporting Patients with Chronic Illness Across Care Settings Webinar July 16
Administration for Community Living’s No Wrong Door Resource Center is hosting an upcoming webinar, Seamless Transitions: Supporting Patients With Chronic Illness Across Care Settings on July 16th at 11am AKST. This webinar will focus on:
- Critical intervention points where community-based organizations can effectively support people with chronic conditions during hospital discharge planning, transition back to home, and post discharge
- Long-term supports to improve community tenure and avoid hospital readmissions
Presenters:
- Betty Russell, Clinical Director, Hospital2Home, Nevada Senior Services
- Ken Wilson, Vice President of Program and Business Operations, Council on Aging of Southwestern Ohio
- Tonya Smart, Program Manager of Care Transitions and FastTrack Home, Council on Aging of Southwestern Ohio
Live captions will be available. Registrants can note additional accommodation needs on the registration page.
If you have any questions, please contact nowrongdoor@acl.hhs.gov.
NASHIA: Addressing the Intersection of Brain Injury, Aging, and Behavioral Health Webinar July 16
National Association of State Head Injury Administrators (NASHIA) is hosting a free webinar July 16th at 8am AKST addressing the intersection of brain injury, aging and behavioral health. As the population ages, the overall rate of brain injury in older adults in the US is increasing, and the intersection of brain injury and behavioral health becomes an increasingly critical topic. Brain injury can have long-lasting cognitive, behavioral, and emotional effects for older adults. Certain predisposing factors can make it more likely for an older adult to experience behavioral health challenges after a BI, including sleep problems, anxiety, substance use disorders, low income, negative thinking, and poor social functioning. A brain injury can increase the symptoms of a pre-existing behavioral health disorder. Secondary factors can complicate behavioral health conditions, such as loss of employment, inability to drive, sleep issues, relationship problems, and social isolation.
ADvancing States Updates
- WellSky is hosting a webinar on the future of the Older Americans Act on July 17. Kathy Greenlee, former administrator at ACL, and Abby Cox, Senior Director of Aging Policy at ADvancing States will be presenting.
- The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) recently released its annual Report to Congress, outlining improvements to Medicare payment systems and issues affecting the Medicare program.
- Justice in Aging is hosting a webinar on accessing Medicare for people leaving incarceration on July 22.
- Registration is open for the 2025 Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Conference.
- FAIR Health published a brief, Shared Decision-Making Tools for Older Adults in a Clinical Setting, to highlight shared decision-making tools which support conversations between older adults, caregivers, and healthcare providers. This brief explores how shared decision-making (SDM) tools that include cost information can improve healthcare outcomes for older adults.
CMS Announces WISeR Model to Target Wasteful, Inappropriate Services in Original Medicare
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services launches the WISeR Model, which stands for Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction. Through WISeR, CMS will partner with companies specializing in enhanced technologies to test ways to provide an improved and expedited process for reviewing the medical necessity of select items and services shown to have little to no clinical benefit and that are particularly vulnerable to fraud, waste, and abuse.
With this announcement, CMS has issued a Request for Applications (RFA) for companies interested in participating in the model. Find more information on the WISeR Model webpage, as well as the model press release and factsheet. Send questions about the model to WISeR@cms.hhs.gov.
Center for Medicare Advocacy News
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has allowed a lawsuit to proceed against Medicare’s policy of discontinuing coverage for vital medications with no advance notice, and making patients financially responsible for what can be the exorbitant costs of those drugs.
Medicare provides no advance notice to beneficiaries when a drug is added to its Self-Administered Drug (“SAD”) List, and it does not require medical providers to inform patients either. Patients can thus be left in the dark and on the hook. This case, Beitzel v. Kennedy challenges that policy on constitutional due process and statutory grounds, asserting that Medicare beneficiaries have a right to 1) advance notice when a drug they have been using will no longer be covered, and 2) protection from financial liability when they do not receive adequate, timely notice.
Registration Open: Alaska Housing Summit August 19-20 in Anchorage
Registration is now open for the Alaska Housing Summit set for Aug. 19-20 at Southcentral Foundation’s Nuka Learning Institute in Anchorage.
The event always sells out, and this year’s featured presenter is not to be missed. Chief Seattle Club, a Native-led housing and human services agency, will share its mission and successes anchored by a drop-in day center in Pioneer Square that includes housing assistance, legal services, a Native art job training program and more.
The packed agenda will span two days, bringing in the voices of those with lived expertise and putting spotlights on Alaska innovations from Nome to Sitka. Connect with peers, policy makers and community leaders. Share what is working. Help shape what’s next.
The cost is $150, which includes lunch both days and an Aug. 19 mixer at The Nave in Spenard.
A few need-based travel scholarships are available. Email director@alaskahousing-homeless.org for scholarship details.
AARP: Data Reveals Fraud Exposure and Gaps in Support for Veterans
A new AARP report highlights that veterans are frequently targeted by fraud, with 39% (over 7.5 million) receiving fake solicitations claiming to be from the VA or other agencies. About 28% believe their veteran status makes them a target, and 27% (over 5 million) have lost money to scams—most losing more than $500. Common schemes include fake donation requests, medical or job benefit offers, and mortgage or tax reduction scams. Despite the risk, few veterans use external resources for scam prevention, and 37% feel there aren't enough protections. The findings suggest a need for more veteran-focused fraud education and outreach.
US Census Bureau: Older Adults Outnumber Children in 11 States and Nearly Half of U.S. Counties
The U.S. population age 65 and older rose by 3.1% (to 61.2 million) while the population under age 18 decreased by 0.2% (to 73.1 million) from 2023 to 2024, according to the Vintage 2024 Population Estimates released today by the U.S. Census Bureau.
The data show the population continued to age, with the share of the population age 65 and older steadily increasing from 12.4% in 2004 to 18.0% in 2024, and the share of children declining from 25.0% to 21.5%.
Ongoing growth among the older population, coupled with persistent annual declines in the population under age 18 has reduced the size difference between these two age groups from just over 20 million in 2020 to just below 12 million in 2024. From 2020 to 2024, the older population grew by 13.0%, significantly outpacing the 1.4% growth of working-age adults (ages 18 to 64), while the number of children declined by 1.7%.
ASA: Generations Journal Summer 2025
American Society on Aging's free Generations Journal Summer 2025 edition is available now!
"This letter was not generated by artificial intelligence (AI). But parts of Summer 2025 Generations Journal are, in one of first dedicated journal issues to explore AI and Aging: On Ethics, Health, and Innovation. The issue was first imagined by our editorial board in 2023, mere months after ChatGPT entered the scene. Shortly after, Guest Editors Dan Andersen, gerontologist and Chief Health Informatics Officer, and Faizan Wajid, Senior Data Scientist, both of Explore Digits Inc., got to work outlining the most salient connection points between AI and the systems we interact with as we age. The world of AI moves faster than most of us can follow, while production timelines for a journal are long-tailed. But thanks to Dan, Faizan, and a stellar cast of authors, we’re proud to publish a foundational collection on the cautions and opportunities presented by AI." -Leanne Clark-Shirley, PhD
President & CEO, American Society on Aging
NABS Hiring Remote Graphic & Content Designer - Apply by July 13
National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition (NABS) is seeking a skilled and culturally grounded Graphic and Content Designer to join their Communications team. This position plays a key role in designing visual and written content that communicates NABS’s mission, values, and programs across a variety of platforms. The ideal candidate brings both creative vision and technical skill, with an understanding of how to communicate effectively with Native communities and the broader public. They're looking for a team player who thrives in a collaborative environment, is receptive to feedback, and values co-creating visual storytelling that uplifts Indigenous voices. Deadline to apply: Sunday, July 13th.
Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center: Where You Live May Increase Dementia Risk
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