Webinars and Online Sessions

Note: The webinars are not ordered by date.

Upcoming

Unpacking the Controversy Over Medicare Advantage

Health Wonk Shop – Kaiser Health Foundation
Tuesday, March 21, 2023, 12:00 to 12:45 p.m.

Medicare Advantage is the rapidly growing private plan alternative to traditional Medicare that provides coverage to approximately half of Medicare beneficiaries.
 Controversy has arisen recently over a Biden Administration proposal for changes to payments to insurers for the coming year, including how the health risk of enrollees is captured, as well as a plan for recouping payments not supported by audits. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services estimates the payments to plans per enrollee would increase by 1% in 2024, and supporters argue the approach would help to reduce inappropriate overpayments to insurers. Critics, including the insurance industry and Republicans in Congress, contend that this represents a cut to Medicare and will lead to higher costs for beneficiaries.
Tomorrow, March 21 at 12 p.m. ET, three experts join series moderator Larry Levitt in a 45-minute discussion on Medicare Advantage, addressing such questions as: What has driven the growth in Medicare Advantage enrollment? What are the implications of enrollment being concentrated in a few insurance firms? Is the federal government overpaying plans? What would the new rules and proposed changes do, and how would they affect beneficiaries?

Moderator

  • Larry Levitt, Executive Vice President for Health Policy, KFF

Panelists

RSVP for Web Unpacking the Controversy Over Medicare Advantage

Post-Roe: Today’s Abortion Landscape

ProPublica
Tuesday, March 21, 2023, 4:00 to 5:15 p.m.

This is an opportunity for people with disabilities to ask questions as regards disability and reproductive health.
ProPublica senior editor Ziva Branstetter will speak with our reporters about their recent work, like what access to abortion looks like now in a post-Roe world, how abortion laws are affecting maternal health and the lack of data privacy laws regarding the abortion pill. We’ll also hear from reproductive health care experts about how abortion restrictions are playing out on the ground across the country. There will also be a Q&A session at the end.
This event is virtual and free to the public. Can’t make it? Register to receive a link to the recorded session.
Register for Post-Roe Abortion Landscape

Improving America’s Housing 2023

The Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies
Thursday, March 23, 2023, 12:30 p.m.

Sparked by pandemic-induced changes in household routines and use of living space, home improvement and repair spending soared to new heights in 2022, reaching an estimated $567 billion. Despite this enormous investment, the nation’s homes are aging and in growing need of major replacements, such as roofing, windows, and HVAC systems. For many older and lower-income homeowners, the burden of high improvement and repair costs threaten their health and safety, as well as the preservation of affordable housing. While the boom in home remodeling activity is expected to slow from its breakneck pace in the near term, modifying homes to better prepare against disasters, improve energy efficiency, and meet the accessibility needs of an aging population should support longer-term growth in the remodeling market.
Join us for the release of our biennial report, Improving America’s Housing 2023.
Panelists:

  • Jane Dzielski, Principal Analytical Lead, Google (Moderator)
  • Jessica Granderson, Interim Division Director, Building Technology & Urban Systems Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
  • Carlos Martín, Project Director, Remodeling Futures Program, Harvard JCHS 
  • Ruth Ann Norton, President & CEO, Green & Healthy Homes Initiative 
  • Keith Rozolis, President & CEO, ABC Supply 

Registration required for Housing 2023.


Dignity for All: Resident Voices on How Staffing Impacts Their Lives

National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care
Thursday, March 23, 2023, 2:00 to 3:30 p.m.

Join Consumer Voice for a webinar highlighting the experiences of long-term care residents. They’ll share, in their own words, how living in a facility with inadequate staffing affects their quality of life and the quality of care that they receive, and what it would mean for their lives to live in a facility with enough staff.
REGISTER for Staffing Impacts


How to Build a Culture of Accountability and Advance Racial Equity

Stanford Social Innovation Review
Tuesday, April 4, 2023, 2:00 to 3:30 p.m.

This 90-minute LIVE program will:

  • Explore three forms of accountability essential to activating organizational change
  • Outline seven practices for building a culture of accountability
  • Highlight four core competencies of accountable leadership that are essential to advancing racial equity
  • Illuminate case studies to understand how conflict avoidant culture leads to a toxic workplace and how to combat that dynamic

One act of racial harm could have ripple effects across an entire organization. A single microaggression compounded with other acts of interpersonal racism and institutional policies that perpetuate unequal access to opportunities for staff of color­ can have sweeping consequences. Sending an email apology is like applying a Band-Aid to a systemic issue. And while organizations may opt to leave the role of accountability to their HR departments, cultivating a culture in which everyone practices a commitment to anti-racist community care and responsibility requires much more than compliance to labor policies and practices.
From the interpersonal harms of racial microaggressions to the discrimination and implicit bias within core functions of the organization, leaders must be prepared to facilitate a process of accountability that creates lasting change. Otherwise, chronic burnout and high turnover will take hold.
In this 90-minute SSIR Live! session, social sector leaders and managers will learn strategies for creating a more inclusive and equitable workplace and building a thriving culture of accountability. We will explore three forms of accountability essential to activating organizational change; outline seven practices for building a culture of accountability; and highlight four core essential competencies of accountable leadership – all in this LIVE program.  
This session will be facilitated and led by Piper Anderson, a former professor at NYU’s Gallatin School, a writer, coach, trainer, and founder of Create Forward, a social impact firm delivering experiences that advance equity and justice. This interactive 90-minute session will include prompts for reflective discussion, live polling, and two Q&A rounds to answer your most pressing questions on this topic.
This webinar is designed, facilitated, and presented by Piper Anderson. Anderson is a former professor at NYU’s Gallatin School, a writer, coach, trainer, and founder of Create Forward, a social impact firm delivering experiences that advance equity and justice. She brings 20 years of experience as a coach and facilitator for racial justice, community engagement, and conflict transformation
Price for this webinar: $79 This price includes access to the live interactive webinar and unlimited access to the recorded webinar video and resources for 12 months from the date of broadcast.

Understanding the PACT Act and Implications for Impacted Veterans

Bob Woodruff Foundation
Wednesday, April 5, 2023, 3:00 p.m.

Join the Bob Woodruff Foundation, Dept. of Veteran Affairs, and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America for an important discussion of the Sergeant First Class (SFC) Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act. Passed in 2022, the PACT Act expands and extends eligibility for VA health care for Vietnam, Gulf War, and post-9/11 era veterans with toxic exposures.
Learn more about Understanding the PACT Act and Impacted Veterans

2023 AARP Virtual Lobby Day

AARP
Tuesday, April 4, 2023, 10:30 a.m.
On Tuesday, April 4, at 10:30 a.m., AARP Massachusetts will host a virtual lobby day to share legislative priorities with its members and state lawmakers.
These include pushing for a caregiver tax credit to help defray out-of-pocket costs; improving the quality of care in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities by increasing minimum nurse staffing ratios and improving the state’s preparedness and response to infectious disease outbreaks; removing certain restrictions related to senior property tax deferrals; and expanding the state’s CORE Plan, which is a 401(k) savings plan for employees of small nonprofits.
The virtual lobby day is an opportunity for members to hear from key lawmakers pushing bills to improve the quality of life for residents 50-plus, says Mike Festa, AARP Massachusetts state director. “Legislators also get to meet the people they’re fighting for and hear their stories.”
Register to attend the virtual AARP Virtual Lobby Day

Reporting Back to Community

Point32Health Foundation
Wednesday, March 29, 2023, 10:00 a.m.

Solutions to community challenges are most likely to come from those closest to the issue. That is why community insights and perspectives are so important. 
Hundreds of participants shared insights from across Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. These perspectives help us better understand what is important and how we can help–while remaining committed to following community voice and community-led solutions. This community input informed the Foundation’s new strategic plan, which we’re excited to share with you. 
Learn how the Point32Health Foundation will implement future strategies with community and stakeholders. Everyone is welcome to attend. 

41st Annual Brain Injury Conference

Brain Injury Foundation of Massachusetts
Wednesday, March 29 and Thursday, March 30, 2023
Best Western Royal Hotel, Marlborough

The 41st Annual Brain Injury Conference features keynote speaker Carole Starr, M.S., Author, Scarborough, ME, 25 workshops over two days, and an Exhibitor Hall showcasing community resources and more!
This pre-conference & conference provide a platform for all those affected by brain injury (survivors, family members, caregivers, and professionals) to learn about new developments in the field of brain injury and provides networking opportunities for community members.
Download/View the Brain Injury Conference Registration Brochure or Register for the Brain Injury Conference.

Advocacy for MA DDS Self-Directed Services as envisioned by the 2014 Real Lives Law

Massachusetts Alliance for 21st Century Disability Policy (MA21
Tuesday, March 21, 2023, 1:30 p.m.
Tuesday, May 16, 2023, 1:30 p.m.

Join the conversation about Massachusetts Alliance for 21st Century Disability Policy (MA21) advocacy for changes to MA DDS Self-Directed Services to comply with the 2014 Real Lives Law.
Help improve regulations and waivers at the Dept. of Developmental Services (DDS) to increase transparency, flexibility, and self-determination.
Other dates to be posted. Your voice is needed!
Check out the MA21 Real Lives Law Fact Sheet for some background:
MA21 Real Lives Law Fact Sheet
Register for DDS Self-Directed Services

Training Series

Closing the Justice Gap for Older Adults

National Center on Law & Elder Rights (NCLER)
Beginning Tuesday, February 28

Join the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) and the Administration for Community Living (ACL) for a new training series hosted by the National Center on Law & Elder Rights, Closing the Justice Gap for Older Adults. Topics will cover nursing facility evictions, decisional capabilities, APS and legal aid collaboration, and guardianship. The full schedule and descriptions are available on the NCLER website. The series will launch on Tuesday, February 28th, with the first training in the series on Representing Older Adults in Nursing Facility Eviction Cases.
Learn more and register for the Closing the Justice Gap training.

Previously Recorded

MassFamilies Housing Webinar Series

MassFamilies

This webinar series shared examples of innovative housing options being developed by parents and experts in the field. 
Archived webinars include conversations with parents and practitioners as they discussed:

  • When to start planning for independent living
  • The importance of developing a vision for your child’s life as an adult
  • Identifying and leveraging resources (community and government) to make independent living a reality
  • What to expect when transitioning to a new housing arrangement
  • Case studies that illustrate the person-centered approach

Multisector Plan for Aging January 2023

American Society on Aging

In season six of Future Proof Live, West Health, The SCAN Foundation and The John A. Hartford Foundation have come together to provide an in-depth look at how states can plan strategically to transform infrastructure and coordination of services to address the needs of a rapidly aging population.
In this Future Proof Live episode, panelists discuss what a Multisector Plan for Aging is, what it looks like at different stages, across different communities and with different priorities. They also will explore key tools and concepts to create a movement toward change through an aging and disability lens that goes beyond traditional health and community services.

Free Webinar: New Health Care Rights Law Proposed Rule–What Advocates for Older Adults Need to Know

Justice in Aging
Previously recorded on September 13, 2022

The Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS OCR) announced a new proposed rule implementing the Health Care Rights Law (HCRL), also known as Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act. Older adults, especially people of color, immigrants, people with limited English proficiency (LEP), people with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ individuals, often face discrimination in health care settings that leads to poorer health outcomes. The HCRL and its implementing regulations are critical to preventing and redressing such discrimination.

This webinar provides an overview of the HCRL, discuss how the current and proposed regulations impact older adults, and provide ways for advocates to engage in the rulemaking process. Presenters discuss how the new proposed rule takes important steps to restore vital anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ seniors and language access protections for limited English proficient (LEP) older adults that were gutted in 2020 by the previous administration. HHS is also proposing to further strengthen anti-discrimination protections by broadening application of the rule to all Medicare providers and requiring staff training on language assistance, effective communication, and reasonable accommodations.

The proposed rule is open for a 60-day public comment period through October 3, 2022. In the coming weeks, Justice in Aging will provide updates and resources for aging advocates to engage in the rulemaking process on our HCRL webpage.

Who Should Participate:
Aging and legal advocates, advocates serving LGBTQ+ and LEP communities, community-based providers, and others wanting to learn more about changes to the regulations implementing the Health Care Rights Law and the impact on older adults.

Presenters:

  • Natalie Kean, Director of Federal Health Advocacy, Justice in Aging
  • Denny Chan, Managing Director of Equity Advocacy, Justice in Aging
  • Murray Scheel, Senior Attorney, Justice in Aging

Watch the recording about Healthcare Rights Proposed Rule
Get the slides about Healthcare Rights Proposed Rule

Beyond Medicaid! New Models to Pay for Long-Term Care

New York Gray Panthers (YouTube recording)
Recorded on July 26, 2022