Legislature(2007 - 2008)BUTROVICH 205
03/21/2007 01:30 PM Senate HEALTH, EDUCATION & SOCIAL SERVICES
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Overview: Aging and Disability Resource Centers | |
| SB85 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | SB 85 | TELECONFERENCED | |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
SENATE HEALTH, EDUCATION AND SOCIAL SERVICES STANDING COMMITTEE
March 21, 2007
1:32 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Bettye Davis, Chair
Senator Joe Thomas, Vice Chair
Senator John Cowdery
Senator Kim Elton
Senator Fred Dyson
MEMBERS ABSENT
All members present
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
OVERVIEW: Aging and Disability Resource Centers
SENATE BILL NO. 85
"An Act extending the termination date for the State Medical
Board; and providing for an effective date."
MOVED SB 85 OUT OF COMMITTEE
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: SB 85
SHORT TITLE: EXTEND STATE MEDICAL BOARD
SPONSOR(s): SENATOR(s) DAVIS
02/19/07 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
02/19/07 (S) HES, FIN
03/21/07 (S) HES AT 1:30 PM BUTROVICH 205
WITNESS REGISTER
Patrick Reinhart, Director
Alaska State Independent Living Council (SILC)
Anchorage, AK
POSITION STATEMENT: Participated in overview
Joanna Geisler, Director
Kenai Peninsula Independent Living Center
Homer, AK
POSITION STATEMENT: Participated in overview
Teisha Simmons, representing herself
Fairbanks, AK
POSITION STATEMENT: Participated in overview
Richard Benavides
Staff to Senator Davis
Juneau, AK
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented SB 85
ACTION NARRATIVE
CHAIR BETTYE DAVIS called the Senate Health, Education and
Social Services Standing Committee meeting to order at 1:32:36
PM. Present at the call to order were Senators Cowdery, Elton,
Thomas, Dyson, and Chair Davis.
^OVERVIEW: AGING AND DISABILITY RESOURCE CENTERS
CHAIR BETTYE DAVIS announced the overview on aging and
disability resource centers.
PATRICK REINHART, Director of the Alaska State Independent
Living Council (SILC), said that the goal of the centers is to
consolidate long-term care services in communities, and that
they've been using a federal grant to fund their efforts; a main
partner is the Alaska Housing and Finance Corporation. The
service delivery aspect is overseen by Independent Living
Centers (ILC).
1:35:30 PM
JOANNA GEISLER, Director of the Kenai Peninsula ILC, said that
there are four such centers in the state; she explained where
they're located and what parts of Alaska they serve. Each center
has a large region of responsibility. There are partners in each
of the communities; together they gather and disseminate the
information needed to provide assisted living services.
MR. REINHART said that the original goal of the grant program
was to create a single entry point for all consumers.
Eligibility screening and determinations are closely
coordinated, and eventually the process will become seamless to
the consumer. The program is a long way from realizing this
goal, but eventually it will be able to meld various resources
so that no matter the need, people will be able to call one
single place. The program was started with the southeast Alaska
and Kenai centers, and in later years the other three centers
were introduced. One of the first acts of the ILCs was to get
information to the public through posters and brochures in
medical and state offices; there was an immediate response to
the advertising.
MS. GEISLER said that the senior centers in each community are
very important partners for the ILCs. She then related a story
about someone who benefited from their local center.
MR. REINHART continued to list accomplishments of the program,
including how it has helped with Medicare enrollment for many
consumers.
MS. GEISLER said that 350 individuals have been aided in
enrolling in Medicare plans through the Kenai center. Without
the ADRC in place, the enrollment would have been far more
difficult for many people.
MR. REINHART explained how a memorandum was recently signed by
the Division of Senior and Disability Services, the ADRCs,
Alaska Housing and Finance Corporation, and Alaska Public
Assistance regarding the future of the ADRC program and
streamlining of access. He then explained that Network of Care
is a web-based program that ADRC will be purchasing to aid its
consumers in researching providers and creating medical profiles
to share with others. The ADRCs are excited to begin the process
of using the program, which many states utilize already.
Eventually it will include streamlined application forms for
different programs including Medicare.
He then cited statistical data for the ADRCs recent years,
including user numbers and age and the referral calls made.
MS. GEISLER said that the centers are key providers because they
provide services without age or disability discrimination.
Alaska is the only state in the union where ILCs have partnered
with ADRCs.
MR. REINHART explained how the ADRCs have helped seniors to
relocate from senior centers, and how many consumers have been
able to avoid entering such settings.
MS. GEISLER said that many of the centers have supplies that
they loan to users, such as hospital beds and other equipment.
1:54:19 PM
MR. REINHART said that the ADRCs will continue to collaborate
with different community centers and organizations, and they're
looking at ways to utilize state general fund to help reduce
Medicaid costs. He said that he expects funding challenges in
the future, and the centers are looking for the possibility of a
state grant. Eligibility for and access to services should
happen behind the scenes; the individual shouldn't have to be
involved in elements of the process that can be streamlined.
He added that partnership development is very important for
future expansion of and minimum standards for the ADRCs. The
centers are also looking at transferring the management of the
program to the Division of Senior and Disabled services.
2:00:26 PM
CHAIR DAVIS asked how the program will function after June 2007
when the grant will end.
MR. REINHART said that current funding should carry them into
next year, but they are scrambling to see how the contracts will
be carried out beyond July 2007. They haven't submitted a
funding request to the legislature, but there is a lot of
different options for finding new funding.
CHAIR DAVIS asked what will change if the administration
transfer is made.
MS. GEISLER said that she hopes the CILs won't be abandoned, and
explained how they have been successful in developing their
programs. Suddenly there's a lot of interest in other
institutions trying to become defined as ADRCs, and without
continued funding for the project the current staff will have to
be laid off.
She added that the program struggled with the idea of asking for
money, or just hoping that the Department of Senior and
Disability Services will recognize the program's quality and
will give it grant money.
MR. REINHART said that the future funding of the program isn't
perfectly clear at the moment.
2:04:56 PM
SENATOR THOMAS referenced a page of the presentation packet, and
asked if the program anticipates a particular number of new
patients to be served.
MR. REINHART said that the program hasn't done such a
statistical analysis yet, and that funding for the centers has
been fairly stagnant over the years despite the rising numbers
of users. $45,000, the amount of the grant the centers currently
receive, will hardly cover the new costs of the program. He
explained that providing up front, preventative services can
stave off Medicaid waivers or a long-term care plan for several
years.
2:08:16 PM
TEISHA SIMMONS, representing herself, explained how she was
in a car accident in 1992 and her family had to move to
Seattle for rehabilitation. Eventually returning to Alaska
was hard in terms of adjustment and finding appropriate
care. Independent living services were helpful to her
family in myriad ways, and it would be unfortunate for a
lack of funding to cause centers to have to turn people
away. Getting waivers and personal care is important and a
lot of people don't have the help they need to fight for
aid. The ADRCs are great resources for a lot of disabled
and aging people.
2:13:27 PM
MR. REINHART said that he had provided the committee with
information to pass out to the legislature.
SB 85-EXTEND STATE MEDICAL BOARD
2:15:31 PM
CHAIR DAVIS announced SB 85 to be under consideration.
RICHARD BENAVIDES, staff to Senator Davis, explained that
the bill would extend the sunset date of the State Medical
Board until 2013. He explained the make-up of the board and
its duties, and how it investigates complaints against
those in the medical profession. It has consistently proved
to be efficient and the state recommends that it be
extended.
2:17:29 PM
SENATOR DYSON made a motion to move SB 85 from committee with
individual recommendations and attached fiscal note(s). There
being no objection, the motion carried.
There being no further business to come before the committee,
Chair Davis adjourned the meeting at 2:18:42 PM.
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