DALLAS/FT. WORTH – March 14, 2017 - A group of non-profit area health care providers are concerned that legislation in the Texas legislature will tax large numbers of elderly in nursing homes. Known as the Granny Tax, Senate Bill 1130 and House Bill 2766 would generate state revenue by taxing elderly residents of nursing homes. Nursing home residents would each carry a tax bill of over $4,000 per year. The bill would tax 30,000 nursing home residents across Texas over $120 million dollars. “The legislation balances the state budget on the backs of elderly veterans, retired teachers, and other Texans paying for their own nursing home expenses," says Phil Elmore, President & CEO of Christian Care Senior Living Communities serving Ft. Worth, …show more content…
Young, a faith-based retirement community in Dallas, would see residents hit hard by the tax. Russell Crews, President & CEO, sees the legislation as an unacceptable route to generate state revenue. "We are asking the generation that has already sacrificed so much to now pay a significant and unfair tax. We hope legislators make the right choice and find quality of care solutions that are paid for by all Texans, not just those that are sick and aging.” At James L. West Alzheimer’s Center in Ft. Worth, 100 residents would be forced to pay the Granny Tax. “This is not the way to fill a hole in the state budget. This tax will put much needed care out of reach for many of our residents and their families", says Susan Farris, President & CEO. Many of the nation’s largest for-profit nursing home chains are backing the tax to improve Medicaid funding. However, a recent report by AARP indicates that Texas nursing home quality is among the worst in the nation. "This tax simply throws money at a problem. It’s unfortunate that care for those paying their own way might now be jeopardized,” said Farris. Rather than taxing elderly residents of nursing homes, Dallas area providers support tying state dollars to quality of care. "As Texans, we pride ourselves in minimizing the number of taxes on our citizens and this legislation seems inconsistent with that sentiment," says, Charlie Wilson, Senior Vice President of Buckner Retirement Services. The Texas Legislature is almost mid-way through its legislative session, as bills continue to wind their way through the legislative
It allows for better patient care, safety of the patient, and quality of care. Being modeled after an already approved and successful California law this bill for Florida can help to reduce healthcare cost for the patient, hospital, and state. This also help to reduce hospital acquired illnesses and accidental deaths. We all deserve the best of care when ill, and unfortunately not having a stricter nurse-patient ratio allows for mistakes and a lesser quality of care may be given.
The most frustrating thing about Ms. Goodman’s job is the lack of funding from the state of Tennessee. She says that, “Memphis is the poorest area of Tennessee, yet the state government gives the same amount of money to Memphis as they do Nashville and Knoxville. Those cities have many more resources available and a much lower population of individuals that are dependent on the government assistance” (J. Goodman, personal communication, September 15, 2016). According to Ms. Goodman, there is only one assisted living facility in Memphis that accepts Tennessee government healthcare (TennCare), and there is a very long waiting list. The only option that leaves available is to place people prematurely into nursing homes, or leave them in their homes where they often do not get the help that they need (J. Goodman, personal communication, September 15, 2016).
Every Houston city worker who works hard and play by the standards deserves a impartial and protected retirement. Yet the city administration has mess-up Houston’s pension systems for years, leaving them underfunded and on unstable ground. Political leaders have cut corners on pension payments, used dicey investment return assumptions, and disregard the warning signs
As you may know, Rep. Greg harper(R-MO) introduced H.R. 3099 in July of 2015. The bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop, maintain and regulatory update a National Caregiving strategy. In addition, the bill directs HHS to convene a Family Caregiving Advisory Council to advice on supporting caregivers.
In the United States of America, Texas is one of many states that has been solidly of a republican and conservative ideology throughout the history and time it has been a state whether it be from Texas during reconstruction with it conservative Democrats to the switched conservative Republicans of today. With that being said, Texas compared to other states, spends far less money on governmental programs and agencies local and statewide whether that be from the Health and Human Services Commission to the Department of Housing and Community affairs. Still, the public perception is that the government has been increasingly wasting money on some of these various state and local agencies, so the Texas legislature has passed the Sunset Act
There has been said to be different programs to be offered in the future hopefully improve the cost of Long Term Care for all individuals.
The Texas Constitution was amended in 1993, during Governor William P. Clements’ second administration, to prohibit a state income tax. Therefore, any such proposal would have serious difficulties passing both chambers of the legislature and then it would be subject to ratification through a statewide referendum. Texas’ lack of a state income tax seems to have enhanced its economy vitality with this approach. It also lacks a corporate income tax, which is not prohibited by the Constitution. Texas is one of seven
As we become older, issues with our health begin to take affect and finding ways to fund for that care is becoming even more difficult. In the article “Some Elders Must Take Drastic Measures to Obtain Long-term Care”, national magazine journalist Mary A. Fischer (2011) states that many Americans must face demeaning and disempowering choices in order to qualify for Medicaid or Medicare—federal funded health insurance programs— such as refusing to pay for a spouses institutionalization, divorce, and spending down assets. The author argues that these choices leave the healthy spouse with decreased funds to plan for their own retirement expense (Fisher, 2011). Working in the health care field for 4 years, along with my family’s own personal experiences I can relate to this article, since I have seen a variety of ways that federal funded health insurances have been unable to meet the expectations and demands of its beneficiaries.
The Elder Justice Act was passed on March 23, 2010 as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) as the first piece of federal legislation to allow funds to address elder abuse, neglect and exploitation nationwide (Federal Laws, 2015). Part I of the Elder Abuse Act is the Elder Justice Coordinating Council made up of federal government representatives charged with the responsibility of coming up with programs for the promotion of elder justice. They have to provide recommendations to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services on the issues of abuse, neglect and exploitation of the elderly. Then there are 27 professionals from the general public who are to give recommendations to the Coordinating Council as well. Part II of the Elder Justice Act talks about funding and enhancing long-term care. Long-term care is important because you need programs committed to training long-term staff,
Allowing elderly convicts the option to stay inside their home or nursing home removes the burden of Arizona constantly providing for these elderly. Connecticut created 60 West, a nursing home that catered to elderly prisoners, that saved “more than $5 million in corrections health care costs annually” (Vestal). Critics of the this new reform system argued that allowing convicts admission into nursing home remains just as expensive as allowing convicts to serve the rest of their sentence in prison. Connecticut disproved this theory by demonstrating that better equipped nursing facilities accommodates elderly criminals cheaper than a penal institution. Florida, a state known for its aging population, announced by “releasing this low-risk prison population to spend their final years at home, and
In a traditionalist state, such as Texas, the financial toll that Medicaid would have on its taxpayers was on the frontlines. The Texas legislature was worried about whether or not its taxpayers would face a tax increase to cover the increased cost of those covered by Medicaid. These taxpayers would inadvertently pay for the hospital bills of those who are uninsured in Texas through an average $1,800 rise in the cost of their premiums (Rapoport, 2012). In support of expanding Medicaid, Texas would receive federal funds in order to ease the cost that accompany the expansion. Since Texas decided not to expand Medicaid, Texas “would be leaving billions and billions of federal dollars on the table” according to Anne Dunkelberg (Rapoport, 2012). Not only does this monetary incentive give Texas an extra push to participate towards expanding Medicaid but it would also help the residents of the state to get insured. Texas legislators understood that this monetary incentive would not fully cover the cost of the newly enrolled Medicaid recipients. In the end, they would have to rework the annual budget and increase taxes in order to cover these extra recipients.
The Older Americans Act (OAA) funds critical services that keep older adults healthy and independent—services like meals, job training, senior centers, caregiver support, transportation, health promotion, benefits enrollment, and more. The Act is overdue for reauthorization—and Congress needs to seize this opportunity to update and renew its commitment to these programs and those they serve. To ensure America’s aging population is able to maintain and live healthy lives provisions are needed to the current OAA. These provisions include:
The Lawmakers passed a 2.6 billion supplemental spending bill that will be used to plug holes in the budget passed two years, this bill served Texas. Lawmakers also passed a bill that would make CPS’ parent agency, the Department of Family and Protective Services, a standalone agency, this Bill served the Children. Abbott has signed a bill that will increase punishment for teachers who engage in inappropriate relationships with their students. The new
Ironically, Texas has the highest number of uninsured citizens in the nation, 6.2 million to be exact. The majority of these citizens are children. According to Goodwyn (2013), “by Texas refusing to participate in the Medicaid expansion, which is part of the ACA, the state will leave on the table an estimated 100 billion dollars over the next decade. It is sad to know many citizens in this state will be denied health care by those who already have the best insurance and will never have to worry about being uninsured. In addition, the Texas politicians fail to recognize the need for health care for neither its most vulnerable citizens nor the burden on the Emergency room as well as the rise in healthcare premiums for citizens who maintain health insurance. Landers (2013) reports, “whether they have a good income or a lower one, Texas lag behind much of the nation in access to and quality health care.” States who fail to expand Medicaid will see their funds distributed to states on board with expanding Medicaid.
Current numbers show substantial growth from the eighties, and estimates suggest that the demand for long term care among the elderly will more than double in the next thirty years. (Feder, Komisar, and Niefeld) This growth will exacerbate concerns about balancing institutional and noninstitutional care, assuring quality of care, and most importantly adopting and sustaining financing mechanisms that equitably and adequately protect the elderly who need long-term care.