Multi-State Collaborative to Advance Master Plans on Aging

Jan. 24, 2022

One year after California issued its master plan on aging, Gov. Gavin Newsom released his 2022-23 budget proposal, which includes several priorities in support of the master plan

David Raths

In partnership with the SCAN Foundation and the Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS), West Health is forming a multi-state learning collaborative to advance the need for more states to adopt master plans for aging, following California’s lead.

California released its master plan on aging (MPA) on Jan. 6, 2021. It outlined five goals and 23 strategies. To drive implementation, state agencies committed to 123 initiatives for implementation in 2021-2022. The Data Dashboard for Aging will track the plan’s progress over 10 years.

One year after California issued the master plan, Gov. Gavin Newsom released his 2022-23 budget proposal, which includes some priorities in support of the master plan:

Promoting Accountability and Transparency: The budget calls for $2.1 million to bolster the Master Plan for Aging’s Data Dashboard, developed in partnership with West Health. The dashboards will assess outcomes and sustain public engagement for statewide initiatives through the Department of Aging, and strengthen civic engagement policies and programs in the California Commission on Aging
Lowering Healthcare Costs: The proposal calls for establishing the California Office of Healthcare Affordability which will be charged with increasing transparency on cost and quality, developing cost targets for the health care industry, enforcing compliance through financial penalties, and improving market oversight of transactions that may adversely impact market competition, prices, quality, access, and the total cost of care.
Improving and Expanding Care for Seniors: To shore up and make needed investments in California’s health and human service workforce, the budget calls for $1.7 billion over three years to recruit, train, hire, and advance an ethnically and culturally inclusive workforce.
Reducing Isolation Among Seniors: $10 million is set aside for programs to engage older adults in volunteer service.
Supporting Adults with Alzheimer's Disease: Bolstering the existing Alzheimer’s Healthy Brain Initiative to promote brain health, better care for people with cognitive impairment, increase attention to caregivers, and build public health capacity, the budget makes an additional $10 million investment in the program.

The multi-state collaborative will support up to 10 states for a 12-month period and build on work already underway in various states and localities to better serve older adults. Joining the collaborative will provide:

Access to peer states to share best practices and lessons learned;
Access to a network of subject matter experts, including those who have helped implement an MPA;
Technical assistance regarding how to build buy-in among stakeholders and/or facilitate a collaborative cross-sector development process.

Interested state officials or private organizations (i.e. nonprofits or foundations) must submit their non-binding letter of intent to join the collaboration by Monday, Jan. 31.

Last November CHCS put on a webinar with more details for interested organizations.