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| Sen. Moore to address Brussels Conference on long-term care |
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September 12, 2006...Providing high-quality, affordable long-term care for older people is a cross-cutting policy issue and challenge for many of the world’s nations. Long-term care as a current priority issue deserves careful consideration by countries currently facing pressure due to longer life expectancy. How governments respond to this growing demand for long-term care will prove to be a key challenge as people seek to age with independence, dignity, and quality of life. Advancing the delivery of quality long-term services for an increasing aging population is the theme of a joint conference by the European Commission and the AARP Global Aging Program scheduled for this week in Brussels, Belgium. Senator Richard T. Moore (D-Uxbridge) will be among the speakers who have been invited to this conference. He will address the topic of “Ensuring Sustainable Financing of Long-Term Care Systems.” Senator Moore is the Senate Chair of the Massachusetts Legislature’s Committee on Health Care Financing, and is one of the authors of the state’s recently passed health care access and quality reform law. The international conference for the “Cross Atlantic Exchange to Advance Long-Term Care,” brings together high level representatives and senior officials from the European Union and the United States to highlight common challenges and opportunities. The aim of the conference is to develop a platform for exchange and dialogue, policy analysis and the formulation of policy recommendations. “In addition to sharing information on some of the progress being made in Massachusetts and by other state legislatures, I hope to gain some information from our European counterparts to help improve long term care back home,” Senator Moore explained. “Since the ‘baby boom’ generation will peak in Europe before it does here, I think we can learn from their successes to be better prepared ourselves,” he added. Senator Moore is one of only three state legislators invited to participate in the conference, and he will focus on state-level leadership in long-term care. Joining Senator Moore in Brussels will be Connecticut State Senator Toni Nathaniel Harp, who will moderate a panel entitled: “Promoting Independence: Receiving Care at Home and in the Community.” Nebraska State Senator Dennis Byars, who chairs the Health Committee of the National Conference of State Legislatures, will be a panelist for another session entitled: “Identifying Quality Long-Term Care Services.” Senator Moore has a long record of achievement in advancing public policies to help elders to age with dignity. He was the primary sponsor of “Senior Care Options,” a partnership to provide a comprehensive health plan that covers all the services reimbursable by Medicare and Medicaid through voluntary enrollment in a senior care organization and its network of providers. The program helps to keep frail, low-income elders out of nursing homes by providing 24-hour access to a team of care-givers. Another successful program initiated by Senator Moore is “MassMedLine,” a toll-free information and referral service operated by the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences under contract with the Executive Office of Elder Affairs. Seniors may call and speak to a pharmacy professional at 1-866-633-1617 from Monday through Friday between 8AM and 6PM. Medication specialists can provide free, confidential information and assistance about the new Medicare Part D Drug benefit, and other federal or state prescription assistance programs; programs sponsored by the pharmaceutical industry that provide free, low-cost, or discounted medications, programs by private organizations that provide discounts on medications; and information about health issues and drug therapies. In addition, MassMedLine is staffed by licensed pharmacists who provide medication counseling, drug profile review, counseling on compliance with medication directions, and options for lower cost medications. The program has saved over $25 million in drug costs for thousands of senior citizens since it began five years ago. Senator Moore has also been among the legislative leaders advocating enactment of two Senate-passed bills for increased availability of home and community-based services for seniors and the handicapped. If passed by the House, the bills would help seniors to remain in the community rather than living in institutional settings whenever possible. He is among the sponsors of “equal choice” legislation to help seniors choose services that allow them to remain at home rather than prematurely entering a nursing home or other long-term care setting as well as legislation for quality long-term care insurance to help defray the costs of long-term living. The first bill, Senate 2273, An Act regarding choice of long-term care setting, will allow “clinically eligible” individuals seeking admission to long-term care facilities whose income and resources are insufficient to meet the cost of their care, and who are eligible for long term care benefits, to be given the choice of care setting that is the least restrictive and most appropriate to meet their needs. In some cases this may mean in-home care as opposed to institutional care. The bill also authorizes MassHealth (Medicaid) to provide financial assistance to those seeking a choice of care setting. Individuals must have an income eligibility of up to 300 percent of the federal benefit rate under the supplemental security income (SSI) program and assets of not less than $10,000. Finally, the bill compels all those seeking admission to a long term care facility paid for by MassHealth to receive pre-admission counseling for long term care services, which will include an assessment of their community-based service options. Those seeking care in a long term care facility on a private pay basis may receive these services on an optional basis. The second bill, Senate 2285, An Act to establish standards for long-term care insurance, which was co-sponsored by Senator Moore, creates two incentives to encourage the purchase of long-term care insurance by requiring the Group Insurance Commission to establish a plan for long-term care insurance for state employees and by creating a tax exemption under state tax law of up to $5,000 of the annual premiums paid for long-term care insurance policies approved for sale in the Commonwealth. The bill also prohibits cancellation or non-renewal of an individual’s policy on the grounds of age or deterioration of the insured’s health and further prohibits coverage for skilled nursing care only. Both bills have been approved by the state Senate and are awaiting action in the House of Representatives. To learn more about Senator Moore’s legislation and his work in the Massachusetts Senate, log onto his web site at www.senatormoore.com |
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