Elder Abuse Legislation Update from OSA

1/23/2012 12:00pm

The Michigan Office of Services to the Aging (OSA) applauds Governor Rick Snyder's urgent call for the Michigan House to pass Senate elder abuse legislation quickly.  During Wednesday's State of the State Address, Governor Snyder urged swift legislative action that would give vulnerable adults and seniors the necessary protection from physical abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation.

According to Kari Sederburg, OSA Director, “Vulnerable adult abuse is one of Michigan’s fastest growing crimes, with an estimated 80,000 victims each year.  Sadly, these people are suffering, often in silence, because Michigan does not have adequate tools and resources to protect and support victims and improve prevention and prosecution efforts.  With passage of this legislation, this is all about to change.”

The bipartisan 18-bill Senate elder abuse package championed by Senator Tonya Schuitmaker (R-Lawton) provides long overdue reforms including increased criminal penalties, provisions for video-taped testimony, required training for employees of financial institutions, improved coordination between state and local authorities, and a silver alert program.  Most of the bills in the package have been introduced in previous legislative sessions.

Help Governor Snyder and OSA send a firm message to the Michigan House of Representatives and Speaker Bolger that passage of this elder abuse package by Valentine's Day is critical.  Michigan must not miss this unprecedented opportunity to show we care for our most vulnerable and will not break their hearts yet again.

Additional information on senior protections can be found in "the elder protection" Senate bills 457, 459-468, 604-605, 706 and 777; the bills text and analyses are available at www.legislature.mi.gov. For more information, contact the OSA at (517) 373-8230 or visit www.michigan.gov/miseniors.

Permanant Link View/Leave Comments

Thank you for advocating

6/27/2011 3:40pm

Funding for meals-on-wheels and other Office of Services to the Aging (OSA) services were restored in the final version of the FY 2012 budget of the Department of Community Health (DCH) sent to Governor Snyder for his signature.  An avalanche of emails, phone calls, letters and face-to-face visits by aging advocates convinced legislators and administration officials to restore the OSA cuts proposed earlier this year.  One OSA cut  remained, however - $120,000 in funding for Tribal Elder programs.) A last minute appeal for increased funding for the successful nursing facility transition program resulted in a $26 million increase in the MI Choice Medicaid Waiver line-item, which had been slated to get flat funding from the Governor, House and Senate. Thank you to everyone who voiced their concerns, and to all the legislators who listened.

Permanant Link View/Leave Comments

Senior Advocacy in Action Alert

6/16/2010 3:45pm

Ask legislators to fund OSA services for 2011 at the same level as 2010 and to support the Senate version of the MI Choice budget for 2011.

We need your help! The Conference Committee making the final decisions on the Department of Community Health budget (SB 1152) has begun deliberations. The Committee members will decide on funding for two critical areas for seniors – MI Choice and Office of Services to the Aging. Please contact them to preserve funding for senior services.

Background: 

Support for the Senate version of the MI Choice budget for 2011: The MI Choice Medicaid Waiver program provides home care services to people in lieu of nursing home placement at less than a third of the cost. As a result of MI Choice and other home care programs such as those provided through the Office of Services to the Aging, nursing home expenditures declined last year for the second year in a row. Savings to the state in 2009 are estimated at $30-$40 million, and because of this proven savings, the Senate has recommended increasing the MI Choice Medicaid Waiver budget to $196 million for the 2011 budget year.

Fund OSA services for 2011 at the same level as 2010:  Within the past year, programs funded by the Office of Services to the Aging (OSA) have been cut by $7 million – an 18% loss. The Senate is considering another cut of 8% for 2011, an aggregate cut of 26%. Totaling $2.3 million, the cuts would reduce in-home services, home-delivered meals, care management, volunteer programs, caregiver supports and other programs that help keep seniors living independently.  Last year, $4 million in OSA services saved Medicaid $140 million! We are not asking for an increase, just no further cuts.

Following are the legislators on the Conference Committee making the final decisions on the Department of Community Health budget (SB 1152), including OSA and MI Choice.

Chair:  Senator Roger Kahn  

senrkahn@senate.michigan.gov  517-  373-1760

Sen John Pappageorge 

senjpappageorge@sentate.michigan.gov 517-373-7350

Sen Deb Cherry 

sendcherry@senate.mi.gov  517-373-1637

Rep Gary McDowell  

garymcdowell@house.mi.gov 517-373-2629

Rep George Cushingberry

georgecushingberry@house.mi.gov  517-373-2276

Rep Kevin Green

kevingreen@house.mi.gov 517-373-2277

It is always helpful to also contact your own legislators, as well as the Senate and House leadership:

Sen Mike Bishop, Majority Leader, senmbishop@senate.michigan.gov 517-373-2417

Sen Mike Prusi, Minority Leader, senmprusi@senate.michigan.gov 517-373-7840

Rep Andy Dillon, Speaker of the House, andydillon@house.mi.gov 517-373-0857

Rep Kevin Elsenheimer, Minority Leader, kevinelsenheimer@house.mi.gov 517-373-0829

Permanant Link View/Leave Comments