The state's Center for Health Information and Analysis (CHIA) released the Annual Report on the Performance of the Massachusetts Health Care System. Most notably, this includes a final calculation of Total Health Care Expenditures (THCE) - a measure of total statewide...
News: Data and Reports
US HHS Announces a Multi-Pronged Effort to Strengthen Direct Care Workforce
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Administration for Community Living (ACL), announced several new initiatives and resources from ACL’s Direct Care Workforce (DCW) Strategies Center to address the dire shortage of professionals who...
Mapping Medicare Disparities Tool Now Includes Medicare Advantage Data and Many New Features
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Office of Minority Health (CMS OMH) updated the Mapping Medicare Disparities (MMD) Tool to include 2018 Medicare Advantage encounter data and new visual enhancements. Previously, the MMD Tool used only Medicare...
Research Reveals Housing Design Elements Supporting Healthy Aging and Social Well-Being
The Canadian organizations Happy Cities and Hey Neighbour Collective (HNC), alongside Simon Fraser University (SFU), have collected evidence on the importance of social connection for older adults living in multi-unit housing. The project culminated in a report...
Holding on to Home: A Primer on MassHealth Estate Recovery
Blue Cross-Blue Shield Foundation of Massachusetts released an issue brief that describes Massachusetts’ estate recovery policy and practices and what is known about its impact on members and their families. The brief, called "Holding on to Home: A Primer on...
MassINC Report on Criminal Justice Reform Notes the DOC Population is Rapidly Aging
Produced in partnership with Boston Indicators, MassINC released the report "Criminal Justice Reform in Massachusetts: A Five-Year Progress Assessment," that examines the impact of two landmark criminal justice reform laws passed in 2018. The report mentions...
Local Data Tool from CDC Adds New Measures Covering Social Determinants of Health
Population Level Analysis and Community EStimates (PLACES) (www.cdc.gov/places/), a collaboration between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the CDC Foundation, began with providing model-based estimates for...
Rosalyn Carter Institute for Caregivers Releases “Working While Caring: Innovations and Interventions to Support Caregivers in the Workplace”
Studies repeatedly find that caregivers who are employed are under a great deal of strain, often with negative impacts on their health and employment. A new report from the Rosalyn Carter Institute for Caregivers called “Working While Caring: Innovations and...
AARP Report: Food Insecurity Among Older Adults on the Rise
A new report from AARP's Public Policy Institute finds that food insecurity increased substantially among adults ages 50 and older between 2021 and 2022, from 7.9 percent (9.4 million) to 9.8 percent (11.8 million). This rise reversed a decade of downward trends in...
Public Health Center of Excellence on Dementia Caregiving Releases Updated Guide on Advanced Care Planning
A resource available through the Public Health Center of Excellence on Dementia Caregiving, called "A Guide on Advanced Care Planning Resources: For People Living with Dementia and Their Care Partners," has been updated. The guide contains a range of tools, materials,...