Bill Watch

2012 Older Iowans Legislature Priority Bills

Priority Bills of the Older Iowans Legislature (OIL) for the 2012 Iowa General Assembly:

1) PARITY REIMBURSEMENT FOR HOME AND COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICES IN IOWA.

This bill requests that the reimbursement rate be recalculated annually for providers of services under a medical assistance home and community based services waiver. The annual inflations factor applied is to be determined based on the skilled nursing facility market basket services of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. Parity reimbursement will save the state money by assuring adequate HCBS providers are available to enable frail elderly to safely remain in their homes instead of having to enter more expensive nursing home facilities. The taxpayers will save $3.657 million annually if just one person per county is enabled to remain at home instead of going to a nursing home.

2) FUNDING FOR THE IOWA DEPARTMENT ON AGING AND THE IOWA AREA AGENCIES ON AGING (i4a). 

The Iowa Department on Aging and the Iowa Area Agencies on Aging provide services important to the wellbeing of seniors throughout the state. Together they served more than 70,600 seniors in FY 2010. These services include case management, chore services, material aid, emergency response, evidence-based health promotion programs, transportation, home delivered meals, personal care and adult day care. This bill requests funding for these agencies be restored to FY 2010 levels and additional funding be provided to cover reorganization costs associated with HF 45. Inadequate funding will result in an increase in the unmet needs of seniors.

3) STRENGTHEN ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES IN IOWA.

Because Iowa has a growing elderly population and assisted living is a growing industry in Iowa, this bill requests changes be made in the Administrative Code and the Iowa Code to insure quality care and that administration and staff of assisted living facilities have the training and/or experience necessary to ensure understanding of the needs of the elderly.

4) EXPANDING THE LONG-TERM CARE OMBUDSMAN PROGRAM IN IOWA.

OIL believes the long-term care ombudsman program has proven to be an effective way of addressing the needs of residents by working with administrators and staff of licensed facilities to improve the quality of care. This bill requests that a Volunteer Ombudsman Program be established and that an additional local ombudsman be hired each year until the current staff of eight ombudsmen is increased to15.