Better Long-term Care, Older Drivers Top AARP Florida 2006 Legislative Agenda
By: Source: AARP.org Date Posted: 2006-02-08 11:29:00-05:00
A better long-term care system, a beefed-up hurricane-response system, and strong protections to ensure that older drivers don't suffer age-based discrimination are among the top issues for AARP Florida volunteers and staff as they work on behalf of 50+ Floridians and their families in the 2006 Legislature.
Each year AARP Florida sets state legislative priorities, based on feedback from members and volunteers plus AARP's national strategies. AARP Florida collects your ideas about issues that need action by polling AARP members, collecting your ideas at AARP-sponsored hearings and events, and through informal conversations and contacts with you. Throughout the year, AARP volunteers and staff may work on other legislative and regulatory proposals as they arise.
Long-Term Care System Reform and Medicaid Reform
In the 2006 session, lawmakers will consider a state plan to force all Floridians 60+ into HMOs or other managed-care companies to receive vital Medicaid long-term care services. Statewide, about two of every three Florida nursing home residents have their care paid for through Medicaid. Many of these residents were solidly middle-class before spiraling medical costs and the $50,000 or more annual cost of nursing home care exhausted their slender savings.
AARP Florida opposes the state Medicaid HMO experiment because HMOs and other managed-care companies would choose how and where an older Floridian received long-term care. HMOs would choose your doctor, select your nursing home, and would even be able to deny you medically necessary care. State agency officials say they plan to seek federal approval for the Medicaid HMO plan soon, and if the federal government approves, the Legislature will be asked to give final approval in the 2006 session. A program could be under way in four northwest Florida counties—Walton, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, and Escambia—by late 2006.
AARP supports a voluntary integrated long-term care system; a system where people can choose how and where they receive long-term care services.
Special Needs Shelters
After eight major storms struck Florida in 2004 and 2005, lawmakers considered several important measures to improve procedures and resources for hurricane shelters set aside for frail elders and others with special needs. While legislative interest in the issue was strong, lawmakers ran out of time in the 2005 session to finalize the legislation. Lawmakers in both the House and Senate have proposed new versions of the legislation in the 2006 session.
AARP will concentrate on improving systems to help worried family members find and account for their loved ones in nursing homes before, during and after a storm; providing services to clients in special needs shelters and making sure that people leaving the shelters after a storm have adequate care; as well as evacuation plans and access for individuals in communities who become trapped as a result of loss of electricity and water.
Driver Licenses
AARP will closely follow legislation that could change driver's license renewal requirements for older drivers. Early in 2006, lawmakers considered legislation that would have forced drivers to seek medical exams before renewing their driver licenses based solely on chronological age. AARP opposes age-specific policy changes for vision and medical review tests, because there is no scientific evidence available that can tie a loss of driving ability to a specific age.
Telephone Rates & Electric Utilities
As a result of the 2004 hurricanes, utilities companies were allowed to add a surcharge on consumer's bills to help recover the costs associated with storm recovery. Utilities also sought big increases in basic electric rates. Last year, in cooperation with the Attorney General and the state's utilities consumer advocate, the Public Counsel, AARP was able to hold off an additional increase in basic electric rates for at least two years, but the state's Public Service Commission (PSC) granted utilities companies rate increases that made customers bear a heavy burden of hurricane-related utilities costs, as well as fuel-rate increases.
AARP will continue to monitor the legislation and rate cases before the PSC with the potential for further increase to consumer bills. In addition, AARP is supporting efforts by some legislators to readdress a controversial state law adopted in 2003 that awarded Florida telephone companies a historic rate increase—as well as giving telephone companies the ability to jack up rates by 20 percent per year without even having to ask for PSC permission.
Identity Theft
Identity theft is one of the most prevalent forms of consumer fraud affecting Florida citizens today. AARP supports legislation filed this year to allow consumers to place a "security freeze" on their credit report. This would better protect the consumer's private credit information and allow them to control the release of their credit report.
Affordable Housing
AARP will continue to advocate protecting dollars in the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, which can help provide housing to low-income Floridians 50+. The issue is especially important in the aftermath of the 2004 and 2005 hurricanes.
For more detailed information, please contact us at 1-866 595-7678 or email flaarp@aarp.org.
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