2009 Legislative Priorities: Giving People Choice
Legislation to give seniors greater choice and help them stay in their homes longer will be a priority during the 2009 session of the North Dakota Legislature, which begins Jan. 6.
North Dakota funnels 95 percent of its Medicaid long-term care dollars into nursing homes, even though the vast majority of people prefer to remain in their homes and communities. North Dakota ranks among the bottom five states when it comes to support for in-home care services, often referred to as balancing.
“For more than 20 years, there have been efforts made to address the imbalance in long-term care spending in North Dakota that would allow older North Dakotans more choices, including staying in their own homes. While North Dakota has taken a number of promising steps, we have not yet seen those efforts result in the greater availability and accessibility of in-home care that we would like to see,” said Linda Wurtz, AARP North Dakota’s advocacy director.
But there will be bills to correct this imbalance introduced in the legislature. Gov. John Hoeven has proposed $17 million to expand home- and community-based care, including the establishment of an Aging and Disabilities Resource Center. An ADRC would serve as a central place for individuals and families to find out about choices for long-term support and care services for people who are older or have a disability.
The governor is proposing several other enhancements to home-based care, including increasing the number of hours a person can receive care in their home, and raising the amount of income Medicaid-eligible individuals can keep for basic needs like food and shelter.
Finally, AARP will be working on legislation to improve transit options for people. AARP is also supporting an adult guardianship law introduced by the Uniform Law Commission.
To receive weekly updates from AARP North Dakota on what is happening at the legislature, register online at www.aarp.org/getinvolved. With weekly updates, you will know where and when to contact your legislators on these important issues.
Other Resources:
North Dakota Legislature Website
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