Education News

Geriatric Gap Affects Politics -- American politics has been defined by gender gaps, racial gaps, geographic gaps and the gap between the religious and the secular.  Now comes the geriatric gap. As the population ages and the nation faces intense battles over rapidly rising health care and retirement costs, American politics seems increasingly divided along generational lines.
 
The question is how real and defining this gap is going to be - whether in 10 or 20 years it will prove as consequential or intense as, say, the gender divide.
 
As distasteful as the notion of intergenerational conflict may seem, the fight over health care - not to mention the election of health care reform's current chief proponent, President Obama - suggests that something is going on.  Older Americans are more likely to oppose Obama's initiative than any other age group. The White House views this dynamic as one of the biggest obstacles to tamping down public concerns about its approach and assembling a legislative coalition to get a bill passed in Congress.
 
Older voters were one of the few groups Obama did not win in the presidential election last year, leaving him and his party particularly reliant on younger voters, who do not show up at the polls as reliably as older people do.  They have a dimmer view of his presidency than the rest of the nation.
 
And there is no reason to think that whatever tensions have been unearthed with this fight are going to end once it is resolved.  Obama has signaled his intention to tackle the long-term financial problems of Social Security, another issue the elderly play an outsize role in, and they tend to be resistant to change there, too.
 
Americans are living longer and staying healthier longer. With that has come a more active approach to life in retirement.  Older Americans are more engaged. They are more likely to watch television news, show up at town hall meetings and call their members of Congress. That has proven especially true when it comes to health care.
 

(Excerpted from The New York Times, 9-13-09)
 
Medicare Part A Deductible to Rise by $32 in 2010 -- The Medicare Part A deductible will increase by $32 in 2010 to $1,100, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services -- The beneficiary pays the deductible when admitted as a hospital inpatient.  Medicare Part A pays for skilled nursing facility, inpatient hospital, hospice and certain home health care services. Beneficiaries must pay an additional $275 for days 61 through 90 in 2010, and $550 for lifetime reserve days. Only about 1% of Medicare beneficiaries have to pay a premium for Part A services.

Meanwhile, a total of 27% of Part B beneficiaries will see a monthly premium increase in 2010 as a result of a "hold harmless" provision in the current law. The increase will raise the 2010 Part B monthly premium to $110.50 from $96.40. In 2010, the Part B deductible will be $155.

Source: McKnight's LTC Daily News, October 21, 2009
 
 

FAHSA General Membership Alert Page 

 

Reminder - CDBG Application Cycle Opens - The Department of Community Affairs (DCA) will open an application cycle from October 27 through December 15, 2009 for the availability of disaster recovery funding in the amount of $81 million to address needs resulting from federally declared disasters occurring in 2008.  The federal declarations issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) cover counties affected by Tropical Storm Fay (FEMA-3288-DR and FEMA-1785-DR), Hurricane Ike (FEMA-3293-DR), and Hurricane Gustav (FEMA-1806-DR).  For more information, please contact DCA at (850) 922-6075.
 
Notice of Telephone Public Meetings -State of Florida's Proposed Neighborhood Stabilization Program 2 Strategies -- Florida Housing Finance Corporation is holding telephonic public meetings November 2-4, 2009, to provide information and solicit comments regarding the implementation of its proposed Neighborhood Stabilization Program 2 (NSP2) strategies.  Read more by clicking on this week's Housing Alert, 09-28.
 
Free Antivirals Available for Residents - Several retail pharmacies are participating in an antiviral stockpile program and can offer free antiviral medications to those who can not afford them.  For a complete list of the pharmacies participating in this program, CLICK HERE.
 
Register for FAHSA's EIV Webinar featuring Denise Murphy - Register now for FAHSA's EIV Webinar on November 10 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. featuring Denise Murphy, Murphy Consulting.  Ms. Murphy will discuss "Potholes, Speed Bumps and Roadblocks, Navigating the Road to EIV Access."  Denise has more than 20 years of affordable housing experience. Register now! 
  
Other Housing News:

FAHSA Housing Alert Page

AHCA Seeks Ideas for Regulatory Reduction Bill -- During the 2009 Legislative Session, a bill passed (SB 1986) that contained a few changes that the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) was pursuing to reduce regulatory costs.  The bill, which is now law, eliminated nurse monitors, the monthly report of nursing home bed vacancies, and the requirement for nursing homes to post policies on loss of resident property.  It also eliminated overlap in the reporting of abuse, neglect and exploitation by excluding such acts from the definition of an adverse incidents; however, they must still be reported to AHCA and the Department of Children and Families (DCF), as required by law.
 
AHCA hopes to pursue another regulatory reduction bill in 2010.  We need your ideas not only for nursing homes but also assisted living, home health, and other regulated entities.  We will suggest that the legislature reduce the number of visits by a nurse to ALFs that are licensed for Limited Nursing and Extended Congregate Care or at least give AHCA more discretion to vary the number of visits based on survey history.  If you have any other suggestions, please forward them to Carol Berkowitz, FAHSA Director of Regulation and Compliance, at cberkowitz@fahsa.org.

House Considers Adding CLASS Act to Health Care Reform Bill -- Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives are strongly considering adding the CLASS Act to their version of health care reform.

The Community Living Assistance Supports and Services (CLASS) Act, which is supported strongly by AAHSA, would establish a voluntary government-run long-term care insurance program that would help defray the costs of nursing home and in-home care in the event of a disability.  The late Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) proposed it in the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP). The House has yet to adopt the plan.  Though plans have not been finalized, one Democratic aide said there is "strong support" for the measure in the House, The Associated Press reported.

Because the program will spend the first several years only collecting money and not paying out any benefits, opponents predict it will become unsustainable.  It will need large infusions of cash starting around 2019, after it begins to pay our benefits, they argue.

 
AAHSA and its President and CEO, Larry Minnix, are the major proponents of CLASS. Larry is meeting with key players in Washington this week in an attempt to allay fears and correct misconceptions about the program.

Source: McKnight's LTC Daily News, October 28, 2009

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Copyright 2009 -- Publication of the Florida Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (FAHSA).

• FAHSA Chair: Terri Cunliffe
• FAHSA President/CEO: Janegale Boyd
• Managing Editor: Gail Matillo, MPA

Copyright Information: Copies of the articles and other information in this publication may be noncommercially reproduced for the purpose of educational or scientific advancement. Otherwise, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, mechanical or electronic, including photocopying, microfilm and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the editor.

Correspondence: Should be addressed to: Editor, 1812 Riggins Road, Tallahassee, FL 32308. For telephone inquiries, call (850) 671-3700. Or E-mail FAHSA at info@fahsa.org. © 2009 FAHSA. All rights reserved.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this correspondence is not intended as a substitute for legal advice. Please discuss any information gathered from this or any other FAHSA publications with your legal counsel in the context of your particular situation before implementing any new policies or procedures.