March 4, 2009

WASHINGTON—AARP today applauded the Senate Special Committee on Aging for its hearing, “Health Reform in an Aging America.” A statement from AARP Vice President of Government Relations Elaine Ryan follows:

“Our health care system is broken and it’s hurting Americans of all ages. We’re spending far too much for health care, and getting too little in return. The solutions to these problems are on the table, and now Congress must act. Addressing the needs of individuals with multiple chronic conditions is a cornerstone of effective care.

“We applaud the Aging Committee and Chairman Kohl for holding today’s thoughtful hearing on the needs of older Americans in comprehensive health reform. Health spending spikes dramatically as we age, develop chronic conditions and need assistance with daily activities. While medical science has done much to help older people lead active lives, our health care system has not kept pace. Instead, it has left us with poorly coordinated care that raises costs and increases the risk of dangerous, expensive errors.

“As Congress and the administration move quickly toward health reform, they must address care coordination for those with multiple chronic conditions, including providing individuals and their family caregivers with the needed services and supports that can help delay or prevent unnecessary hospitalizations, emergency room visits and nursing home placements. Without better care coordination—particularly for those with chronic conditions—there is little hope of reducing waste, lowering costs, eliminating harmful errors and further improving quality.

“Central to that coordination are the millions of unpaid family caregivers who, according to AARP research, provided $375 billion worth of care in 2007 alone. These invaluable Americans often act as ‘de facto’ care coordinators, and Congress must do more to provide them with support.

“We look forward to working with the members of the committee and their colleagues on both sides of the aisle to address these critical health reform issues in comprehensive legislation that will improve the lives of all Americans.”
 

Senate bill 53  which gives the General Assembly oversight of the Medicaid Global Waiver, whcih previoulsy passed the House, passed the Senate unopposed.  The bill's overisght provisions include requring prior General Assembly approval of major progammatic or eligibility changes in Medicaid.  It also direcs the Department of Human Services to obain all existing waivers, grandfather current recipients into the level of care in existence prior to the waiver, established a 45 person implementation task force, clairifies and provides deinition for selective contracting, andimplements presumptive elgibility among other things.

Contact Steve Jennings - 248-2655

www.aarp.org/taxaide

AARP-RI TAX-AIDE PROGRAM IS SOLICITING VOLUNTEERS TO HELP MIDDLE AND LOW INCOME TAXPAYERS FILE THEIR PERSONAL INCOME TAX RETURNS IN 2009.   VOLUNTERS ARE TRAINED TO ASSIST FILING BASIC TAX FORMS AND SCHEDULES INCLUDING  THE 1040, 1040A AND 1040 EZ.  TAXPAYERS WITH COMPLEX TAX RETURNS ARE ADVISED TO SEEK PAID TAX ASSISTANCE.

AARP TAX-AIDE IS THE NATION'S LARGEST FREE, VOLUNTEER-RUN TAX COUNSELING AND PREPARATION SERVICE AVAILABLE TO TAXPAYERS WITH MIDDLE AND LOW INCOME WITH SEPCIAL ATTENTION TO THOSE AGE 60 AND OLDER.  THE VOLUNTEERS ARE TRAINED IN COOPERATION WITH THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE (IRS) TO HELP TAXPAYERS FILE THEIR FEDERAL , STATE AND LOCAL TAX RETURNS AT TAX SITES IN RHODE ISLAND FROM FEBRUARY 1 - APRIL 15.

INTERESTED?  CALL R.I. TAX-AIDE VOLUNTEER, REGGIE NARCISO@401.683.3996 OR E-MAIL rtnarciso@verizon.net.

The Rhode Island Health Information Exchange Bill (S2679/H7409) became law on July 10, 2008 without Rhode Island Governor Don Carcieri's signature.  AARP-RI in partnerhship with the Rhode Island Quality Insitute, a collaboration of every constituency of health care leadership, as well as health insurance providers, consumers and the public , woked on co-drafting the legislation.  During the year-long process of preparing the legislation, input was received from collaborating agencies and members of the community.  The purpose statement of the Act states the new law is, among other things, "to establish safeguards and confidentiality protections for the Health Information Exchange and to improve the quality, safety and value of health care."  The act included provisions for participation, regulatory oversight, an advisory commission, disclosure and safeguards, among other aspects.  Laura Adams, CEO of the Quality Insitute noted that the provisions for safeguards to privacy will  increase the public confidence and encourage more people to participate.  One of the more controversial and labor intensive bills of the 2008 general Assembly, AARP State Director Kathleen Connell, a former R.N and prior R.I. state senator, prosented oral and written testimony in support of the bill at the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.

  Ruth Barge Thumbtzen of Newport and Donna M. Policastro of Providence have been selected to serve on the AARP Executive Council.  They succeed Ronald R. Turgeon of Newport and Gloria Williams of Providence who are tenuring off the Council board.

Ms. Thumbtzen retired from 30 years of teaching at Thompson Middle School in 2001 and has joined the staff of Salve Regina University as Community Service Liaison.  She is active in her city as a volunteer with the Newport Art Museum, Newport Public Schools, and Hammonds Scholarship Fund.

Mrs. Policastro is a Registered Nurse Practitioner and Executive Director of the R.I. State Nurses Association.  She serves on the Board of Trustees of the American Nurses Association and as Board Chair of the Central R.I. area Health Education Center.  She has a Gubernatorial appointment to the R.I.. Board of Nursing Education and Licensure.

"AARP is fortunate to have two more prominent and accomplished members of the community as Executive Council members" said State President, Anthony Regine.  "I look forward to working with them and the other members of the council."

AARP-RI supported Senate bill S2382, as amended, Monitoring the Occurrence of Hospital Acquired  Infections, a bill relating to health care quality, which passed the Senate recently.  Infections in hospitals is a growing and serious problem and "transparency" is encouraged to allow consumers to have the information they need to get the safest medical care possible.  The bill would add hospital-acquired infections to the list of those matters requiring reporting by hospitals in Rhode Island e.g., fires or internal disasters, poisoning involving patients of the facility, kidnapping and inpatient psychiartic and minor escapes, etc.

The bill requires that any reportable incident in a hospital relating to hospital-acquired infrctions must be reported within 72 hours of when the complications relating to the hospital-acquired infection occurred.  AARP-RI presented testimony in favor of the bill during committee hearings.

Rules and regulations regarding the porcess of reporting by health care professionals will be promulated by the Department of Health.  Members are asked to call their legislators to urge their support.

When passed, the act will take effect on January 1, 2009.