I4A Position on State Bills on Aging

Illinois Alliance for Home and Community Care - or IAHCC, a coalition of statewide associations representing home and community-based services for older adults - supports the Governor's proposed SFY2009 budget for the Illinois Department on Aging including a $117 million increase for the Community Care Program, a $1 million increase for the Elder Abuse Program, and $450,000 additional for the Long Term Care Ombudsman Program.

The IAHCC also requests the following increases above the Governor's budget requests:

An additional $5 million to implement Comprehensive Care Coordination.
An additional $5 million to implement the Elder Self-Neglect Program.
An additional $3 million to provide home delivered meals to seniors on waiting lists and in areas not served.
An additional $1.5 million for the Senior Health Assistance Program which provides outreach and assists older adults applying for Illinois Cares Rx pharmaceutical assistance and wrap-around coverage through Medicare Part.D prescription plans.

The IAHCC are advancing the following rationales:

Case Coordination Units are charged with conducting comprehensive assessments and care coordination for older adults. CCUs are serving more clients and devoting more time per client. The rate of reimbursement for initial assessments have not been increased since SFY2000.
PA 94-1064 amended the Elder Abuse and Neglect Act requiring the Department on Aging to develop by rule, protocols, policies and procedures for the implementation of an elder self-neglect program. The Department is expected to file proposed rules in 2008. We project 2,500 cases of self-neglect in SFY2009 at an estimated cost of assessments and services of $2,500 per case/year.
There are 1,030 older persons on waiting lists for home delivered meal, 2,573 older persons who were denied home delivered meals in FY2007 due to lack of funds, and another3,653 older adults who reside in areas of the state which do not have access to congregate or home delivered meal programs. Senior nutrition programs need additional state assistance to respond to growing demand for home delivered meals and face rising costs due to the increase in the minimum wage, food costs, and fuel costs. An increase in state support for home delivered meals may leverage additional federal funding through the federal Nutrition Services Incentive Program.
The Senior Health Assistance Program is served by 13 Area Agencies on Aging and 160 local SHAP sites which provide information, assistance, outreach, education, and counseling to over 93,000 older adults who annually apply for the Illinois Cares Rx program and select Medicare Part D prescription drug plans. SHAP sites are experiencing a dramatic increase in demand for assistance and need additional state support to provide customer service.

The State's investment in home and community-based services is part of the state budget solution because these services keep older persons healthy and independent at home and prevent more costly hospitalization and nursing home placement.

Also, I4A:

opposes the elimination of state funding for the Red Tape Cutters Program,
supports an additional $1.5 million for the Senior Health Assistance Program to help Illinois seniors make informed choices about pharmaceutical assistance and other benefits,
supports an additional $3 million for congregate and home delivered meals to meet the nutritional needs of seniors on waiting lists and older adults living in un-served areas of the state, and
supports an additional $5 million to implement a statewide Elder Self-Neglect Program.

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This page was last updated 05/02/2008