AARP Wraps Up State Legislative Session with Big Wins

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The 2007 Iowa legislative session was eventful. AARP members were actively involved from the beginning of the session until the very end and worked hard to make their voices heard by pressing lawmakers for significant improvements in health care, consumer protection, and financial literacy.

AARP’s key wins came in the areas of health care reform and financial literacy skills instruction.

Health Care Reform (HF 2539)
Great news about passage of the health care reform bill!  On the last day of the 2008 Iowa legislative session, the 2008 Iowa General Assembly passed sweeping health care legislation that will improve health care coverage, quality, access and care for all Iowans. AARP played a pivotal role in helping shape and pass the final legislation that had bipartisan support (93-3 House and 37-6 Senate). Here are some key areas addressed by the legislation:
• Immediate expansion of health care coverage for Iowa children through existing programs and creating a road map to covering all Iowa children by the end of 2010;
• Exemption of pre-existing conditions as individuals move between plans and jobs;
• Beginning to target adult coverage gaps by creating a pilot health care insurance premium assistance program for direct care workers;
• Expanding electronic health record-keeping to cut costs and improve quality of information exchanged throughout providers in Iowa;
• Expansion of health care access and the role of preventive medicine by establishing "medical homes" through primary care providers;
• Enhancement of the state's wellness initiatives and creating a chronic care management system;
• Educational campaigns for patient-centered information distribution on end of care, and a long-term care options public education campaign;
• Bring providers and consumers together during 2008 to develop of a method for public reporting of measures of health care quality and cost.

Financial Literacy (part of SF 2216)
Financial literacy was one of the 21st century learning skills listed in SF 2216, the bill enacting a model core curriculum for Iowa schools. This means financial literacy will be required to be taught in schools across Iowa. The bill will leave it up to Iowa schools to figure out how to integrate it into their teaching curriculum. Thank you to all who lobbied this issue to successful passage.

Other Notable Passed Legislation that AARP Supported:

As part of the Health and Human Service budget SF 2425, AARP worked on and supported:
• Funding to Elder Affairs to help combat Elder Abuse at the local level around Iowa.
• Funding for the Aging and Disability Resource Center to improve access to information about long term care options.
• Accountability Measures payment to nursing homes. A workable compromise between consumers, providers, direct care workers, and other stakeholders was reached to improve the program.

Important Measure that Failed to Pass

Consumer Protection:
House File 2142 unfortunately did not pass this year and therefore is dead for another year. The Consumer Protection Act would have allowed residents to fight back against fraudulent business practices. By failing to pass this year, it will now become ten years, which Iowa has the infamous distinction of being the only state in the nation to lack this basic protection against fraud. AARP will fight for this issue again in 2009.