Health Affairs Forefront Publishes Three Age-Friendly Health Articles in March
Health Affairs Forefront has published three articles in March as part of its Age-Friendly Health series on topics including mental health, the direct care workforce and hospice.
The Age-Friendly Health series aims to inform health policies and covers new issues related to building more equitable, high-quality health systems for older adults.
Medicare’s Mental Health Care Problem by Grace McCormack, Mark Meiselbach, Josephine Rohrer
20–30 percent of older adults older than the age of 65 "report symptoms of anxiety or depression, and older adults exhibit the highest rate of suicidal ideation of any age group. However, only a fraction of affected Medicare beneficiaries receive treatment. Recent work has uncovered critical issues with access to mental health providers in Medicare."
The authors note that "This lack of access to mental health providers for Medicare beneficiaries has been of increasing policy concern. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), Senate Finance Committee, and Biden administration have each released policy proposals to address the topic in the past year." The article evaluates recent and proposed policies to alleviate the issue.
Suicide Rates Are High And Rising Among Older Adults In The US by Chloe Zilkha, Vani Agarwal, Richard G. Frank
"In November 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported an increase in the age-adjusted suicide rate since 2021. The report details that in 2021 and 2022, people ages 75 and older had the highest suicide rate among all age groups, largely driven by males...Underpinning this profound challenge are the direct connections among social isolation, neglect, and suicide."
The authors talk about the impact of unique age-related stressors and definitions of behavioral health in older adulthood and access to care, and also discuss policy challenges, policy changes, and implications.
The End Of Pandemic-Era Medicaid Funding Threatens Key Investments In The Direct Care Workforce by Barbara Lyons, Diane Rowland
As the population ages, the projected rise in demand for workers over the next decade will require additional action and investment to reap the benefits of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) investments, strengthen the direct care workforce, and build the nation’s health care infrastructure to face the growing need for in-home care.
The authors interviewed state officials, providers, and community partners across seven states, held four national focus groups with workers of diverse backgrounds, and discussed these challenges with national experts. They identify three key insights that they note should guide public actions going forward.
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