1999 Legislative Platform

The Alzheimer's Association Virginia Advocacy Coalition (AAVAC) is a unified voice advocating change in law and public policy to better serve people with Alzheimer's disease and their families.

AAVAC is composed of the public policy committees, membership and concerned citizen volunteers of the eight Alzheimer's Association Chapters throughout Virginia. The Chapters provide services to approximately 100,000 Virginians and their families who suffer the personal and financial devastation inflicted by Alzheimer's disease.

AAVAC's 1999 Legislative Platform addresses our constituents' highest priorities and demonstrates the need for legislative support to make sound public policy decisions focusing on:

• Home and Community-Based Services
• Auxiliary Grant Rate

AAVAC works to enact into law the policy objectives described in the Legislative Platform and monitors other legislation affecting Alzheimer’s individuals and their families including: Medicaid, Managed Care, and Adult Care Residence Regulation.

AAVAC has endorsed proposals for legislation:

Appropriations:

The Alzheimers Association supports funds to:

• establish an inter-institutional, collaborative and statewide dementia biomedical research "laboratory without walls"
• implement Safe Return Police Training initiated by House Bill 1360 in the 1998 General Assembly Session reenacting � 9-170 of the Code of Virginia
• increase the number of families served by the Department for the Aging's statewide respite care initiative for the elderly and persons with Alzheimer's disease under Title 2.1, Chapter 24 of the Code of Virginia
• increase the number of grants awarded by the Alzheimer's and Related Diseases Research Award Fund under � 2.1-373.9 of the Code of Virginia
• hire professional staff and pay operational expenses for the Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Commission under � 37.1-62.1 of the Code of Virginia
• enroll 10,000 Virginians with Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia in the Safe Return Program and allow registration at police and fire stations

Consumer Protection in Managed Care:

The Alzheimer's Association supports stronger consumer protection in securing quality health care through:

• external appeals/dispute resolution process for managed care consumer complaints;
• establishment of a managed care ombudsman to advocate on behalf of consumers;
• improved coordination of regulatory/oversight roles of the Department of Health, Bureau of Insurance, Department of Health Professions and the Virginia Health Quality Center;
• strengthened consumer participation in the governance of managed care plans; and
• added resources for the Virginia Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (VICAP).

Caregivers Investment Bill:

The Alzheimer's Association supports the Caregivers Investment Bill to provide up to a $500 Virginia tax credit to taxpayers with adjusted gross income between $5,000 and $50,000 who provide unreimbursed care to a disabled relative who requires assistance with two or more activities of daily living.

Hospice Care Coverage:

The Alzheimer's Association supports House Bill 699 from the 1998 General Assembly Session to require health insurers, health maintenance organizations and corporations providing accident and sickness subscription contracts to provide coverage for hospice care. "Hospice care" means palliative medical care and related services as covered under Medicare, provided by a licensed hospice in accordance with a plan of care established and maintained by the treating hospice. Hospice care reimbursement rates must be no less than rates for the same services provided under Medicare; documentation requirements must not be greater than those for the same services under Medicare. This bill does not prevent insurers, corporations, or health maintenance organizations from offering or providing coverage for hospice services, even if it cannot be demonstrated that the illness is terminal or that the individual's life expectancy is longer than six months. The provisions of this bill do not apply to short-term travel, accident only, limited or specified disease policies, or to short-term nonrenewable policies of not more than six months duration.

Piedmont Geriatric Center:

The Alzheimer's Association opposes closure of the Piedmont Geriatric Center which would force distant relocation of many Alzheimer's patients away from both their families and the high level of care they currently receive.

Safeguards in Long Term Care Insurance Sale:

The Alzheimer's Association supports legislation requiring initial and continuing education of agents, public education and a guaranteed opportunity for consumers to review their individualized policy prior to purchase.

Aging/Long Term Care Policy, Planning and Licensure:

The Alzheimer's Association supports coordination of aging/long term care policy, planning and licensure through a stronger and more visible role for the Department for the Aging and consolidation of the licensure function, with sufficient staffing and sanctions.

Impaired Driver Protection:

The Alzheimer's Association supports legislation to establish better procedures to identify, report and evaluate people whose driving skills may be impaired by Alzheimer's disease or other physical or mental conditions regardless of age.

Genetic Information Privacy:

The Alzheimer's Association supports legislation to ensure that individuals are protected from discrimination in insurance, health care, housing and employment based on genetic information and from unauthorized disclosure of such genetic information. Legislation must preserve medical researchers' ability to search for therapies or cures to obtain and use genetic information in ways that protect privacy of individuals.

Special Care Unit Disclosure:

The Alzheimer's Association supports legislation that would require long term care facilities with "special care units" -- for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias -- to provide consumers with written information of the features that make the units special, and often more costly. The disclosure requirements should be enforced and monitored by the relevant licensing agencies.

Charitable Contribution Consumer Protection:

The Alzheimer's Association supports legislation requiring professional solicitors for charitable organizations to disclose the percent of revenues solicited which are spent on overhead and administrative costs as well as the percent of actual revenues which go to the charitable organization.

AAVAC invites your support for the Legislative Platform and monitoring of related legislative policy initiatives to better serve people with Alzheimer's disease and their families across Virginia.

Contact:

Ian N. Kremer
Director, Public Policy
Alzheimer’s Association, Northern Virginia Chapter
telephone: (703) 359-4440
facsimile: (703) 359-4441
e-mail: [email protected]