AARP Kansas Legislative Priorities for 2007
By: Source: AARP.org Date Posted: 2007-02-13 13:51:40.483591-05:00
2007 AARP Kansas Legislative Platform
Long-term care (LTC) continues to be the umbrella for AARP Kansas efforts for 2007 and beyond. The major emphasis is to rebalance the LTC system in Kansas by freeing state dollars now paid for nursing facility (NF) beds for diversion to home and community-based settings (HCBS) or alternative living settings.
Kansas' future can be secured through creative planning and with renewed commitment to build a more balanced system that targets services efficiently and appropriately within the available resources. Home and community-based services are the focus as their expansion is the key to developing a balanced system. Now is the time for Kansas to prepare for the baby boom generation and to create a community-based infrastructure that meets the needs and preferences of older adults.
Long-Term Care Issues
AARP Unified Aging Budget - Senate Bill 141
AARP believes that Kansas must create a unified "aging" budget that tracks consumers across service settings. A unified aging budget is crucial to building a balanced long-term care home and community-based system that improves quality, reduces duplication of services and improves the efficiency of state programs. A comprehensive budget will assist the state for planning and informational purposes concerning efforts in meeting the needs of Kansas' older adults.
AARP Kansas Long-Term Care Bill of Rights
We believe that including a legislative directive in statute clearly emphasizes a philosophical commitment to a shift in resources from institutional providers, provision of care in the least restrictive setting, and emphasis on the provision and funding of home and community-based services.
Nursing Home Issues
AARP Kansas has positioned itself as an advocate for nursing home residents and for quality of care in Kansas nursing homes and will enhance opportunities for alternative care settings. In order to prevent harm to residents, AARP Kansas promotes the vigorous enforcement of the Nursing Home Reform Act requiring that facilities ensure that each resident attain or maintain his or her "highest practicable physical, mental and psychosocial well-being".
As a minimum step, federal and state governments should establish specific minimum staffing levels not less than the minimum thresholds identified by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS): 2.8 hours for nurse's aides, 1.3 hours for registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical nurse (LPN's) combined, and .75 hours for RNs per resident per day. AARP believes the thresholds should be increased to at least the levels determined necessary to ensure adequate care.
Economic Security Issues
TABOR
The Taxpayer's Bill of Rights or Tax Payers Empowerment Act represents the most restrictive tax and expenditure libations. These initiatives would limit revenue growth for state and local governments to the percentage growth in populations plus the inflation rate. Voters would be required to approve tax increases in statewide elections if excess monies were needed to fund services. AARP Kansas will continue to oppose TABOR initiatives.
Taxes
Homestead exemptions reduce the amount of assessed property value subject to taxation. They promote the socially desirable goal of home ownership by reducing the real estate tax burden. The state should broaden its methods of financing public education, thereby taking some of the burden off the regressive property tax and shifting it to less regressive taxes, which are better correlated with ability to pay. Property tax relief should be provided in an equitable manner to low- and moderate-income homeowners and renters.
Prescription Drugs
AARP KS will work to protect any funding needed to enable Kansas to continue to evaluate and use the most current evidence-based research for our Medicaid program.
Therefore, AARP will:
- Conduct educational campaigns surrounding the Medicare prescription drug benefit;
- Work with state leaders to determine how implementation of Medicare prescription drug benefits " fit " with current state programs, and how those programs should be changed
- Inform, educate, and work with various health professionals and consumers about Evidence-Based Research and the Preferred Drug List
Rx: Patient and Prescriber Identity for Pharmaceutical Marketing - Senate Bill 229
AARP believes that patients' medical privacy should be protected. AARP also believes that laws should be enacted to prevent patient and prescriber identity from being sold or used for advertising, marketing, promotion, or any activity that could be used to influence sales or market share of a pharmaceutical product, influence or evaluate the prescribing behavior of an individual health care professional, or evaluate the effectiveness of a professional pharmaceutical detailing sales force.
Rx Pricing Transparency
AARP will advocate for legislation that will assist consumers in controlling the costs of their prescription drugs by promoting legislation to create drug pricing laws. (Pharmacies would be required to post on the Internet or on-site their selling price of the most widely used Rx for customer use).
50 Plus Workers
AARP Kansas promotes the right of Kansas residents 50+ to remain in the workplace for as long as they desire. AARP Kansas will advocate for the protection of and promote the value of older workers by opposing age discrimination in the workplace.
Utilities
AARP believes that all Americans must be able to rely upon the availability of safe, affordable and high-quality utility and advanced communications services. In order to uphold this principle, standards found in the AARP 2006 Policy Book form a foundation that must underlie the development, evaluation and comparison of utility policies and proposals at the federal, state and local levels.
Utilities Issues
The rising cost of utilities continues to be a concern. AARP will continue to support CURB, cold weather rule issues, LIHEAP programs and affordable and quality utility services for Kansans.
KPERS/Pensions
AARP Kansas supports state-level retirement initiatives that protect and enhance retirement programs for KPERS members.
AARP Kansas will support efforts to gain a 3% cost of living increase for KPERS recipients.
Medicare
AARP will be seen as one of the most trusted and credible sources of information on Medicare Rx Coverage. AARP will be a resource to all beneficiaries who will benefit by enrolling, will help Medicare beneficiaries understand there is an important decision to be made, and will provide the tools to help those individuals make an educated and informed decision.
Social Security
AARP is committed to working with both political parties to help ensure that Social Security remains strong for Americans. Private accounts drain money out of Social Security, cut benefits and pass the bill to future generations. The next generation of Americans deserves a Social Security program that is based on adequate and secure benefits.
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