Guiding Legislative Principles for the Continuum of Aging Services
GAHSA will use the following principles to address issues on which we have no current position:
1. Seniors have a right to be treated with dignity and respect.
2. Services and programs should be provided to seniors in a manner which is least intrusive, provides empowerment to the extent possible and promotes independence, all balanced with the necessity of protection of seniors not capable of self care or assistance to seniors who have diminished capacity for total self care.
3. While seniors have a right to a safe and nurturing environment and have a right to expect society to provide protection through laws, regulations, and policies which protect seniors’ physical, mental, and spiritual well-being and promote practices to accomplish these goals, government policies should not inhibit providers of care and services to the aging from providing cost-effective, high quality care.
4. Seniors should be able to expect adequate services, whether living in their own homes or elsewhere. In furtherance of this goal government must adequately fund and maintain standards for services to seniors at a level which is economically viable so that providers may maintain high standards and quality of care across a spectrum of services.
5. Public education and sufficient information are necessary so that seniors can be informed decision makers.
6. Seniors and others should have access to preventive, remedial, and long-term health care. Government policies should facilitate the availability of a spectrum of services to aging persons.
7. Health care policies, including managed care and government plans, should not discriminate against health care providers by excluding entire classes or types of providers from their networks, panels, and plans.
GAHSA 2006 Legislative Issues
Position and Involvement
- Change CON rules to encourage growth and regulatory support of CCRCs
- Provide strong leadership in the development of the Medicaid Modernization Plan for Georgia
Position and Monitor
- Create additional level of long-term care
- Faith & Family Services Amendment
- Nursing Home Provider tax implementation
GAHSA 2006 Budget Issues
Position and Involvement
- Increase Personal Needs Allowance for Nursing Home Residents *
- Funding to implement licensure of Adult Day Centers
- Expand Home and Community-Based Services Medicaid (CCSP) and Non-Medicaid *
Position and Monitor
- Increase Funding for the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program
Note: * GAHSA appreciates the permission from the Coalition of Advocates for Georgia’s Elderly (CO-AGE) to use their materials and supports the materials as written.
Other GAHSA Advocacy Work
(contact GAHSA for additional information)
- Presented testimony to the Commission on Efficacy for Certificate on Need Rules in Georgia with emphasis on changing CON rules for CCRCs
- Strong leadership role in the development and passing of legislation regarding Long Term Care Insurance Partnerships
- City of Atlanta water/sewer rate discount for non-profit, low-income senior housing
- Worked to eliminate or permanently postpone the implementation of the Medicaid adult medically needy program
- Filed Amicus Briefs to support two facilities facing an implementation of ad valorem tax on property exemption for non-profit homes for the aged
- Monitored Medicaid estate recovery legislation and encouraging a fair and reasonable process in implementing estate recovery
