AARP Sees Gains in General Assembly

AARP North Carolina saw modest but significant gains on its key legislative issues during the 2007-2008 biennial session of the North Carolina General Assembly, particularly considering a slowing economy.

 

AARP and other advocates helped insure reasonable hardship waiver provisions in the area of Medicaid –related transfer of assets and forestalled an expansion in the Medicaid estate recovery provisions. AARP also supported the successful passage of legislation to include mental health coverage in group health insurance plans and to establish a pool to create health insurance plans for individuals with high risk health problems. There was an AARP-endorsed expansion of dental care services, including support for frail elderly and disabled adults, and grants were made to community organizations to assist seniors in enrolling in the state prescription drug assistance program and the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit.

 

AARP successfully supported an increase in the homestead property tax exemption and established a property tax deferral program for older and disabled adults. Funding was increased to help people 60 and older stay in their homes with services such as home delivered meals, home care, and adult day care; and funding was increased to senior centers and Area Agencies on Aging. AARP supported a successful expansion of a program to allow eligible persons the option of receiving services in their homes that would otherwise be provided at adult care homes. An AARP-supported state tax credit for the purchase of long term care insurance was enacted, funding was increased for disease prevention and health promotion, and additional funds were appropriated for housing repair and for apartments for people with disabilities.

 

AARP helped achieve a long-sought consumer rating system for adult care homes, and appropriate placement of persons with mental illness was addressed through funding for mental health screenings and assessments in adult care homes. A requirement was established for increased frequency and better advance notifications for meetings of the penalty review committee for adult care homes, and the health care personnel registry will be expanded to include records of occurrences such as fraud, abuse or theft in health care facilities.

 

Legislation was passed to increase predatory lending and foreclosure protection, and state guardianship laws were amended.

 

In other issues of interest to AARP, public campaign financing was expanded, and state ethics and lobbying laws were strengthened.