ACTION ALERT: February 8, 2005

1) Support Key Legislation for Nursing Homes
2) Contact House Members in Support of Travel/Life Insurance Legislation

When legislators respond to you, please let us know! It is extremely helpful for us to know if a legislator has a question, concerns, or supports the legislation!

HOW TO USE THIS ACTION ALERT: Each week, we highlight several key issues before the Washington State Legislature which have a direct impact on our community and community agencies. This Action Alert contains brief summaries of the key issues before the Legislature this week. It also provides you with direct e-mail links to your legislators and Legislative leaders. We provide you with a draft e-mail text which you can directly send or which you can modify to better represent your thoughts on an issue. When you send an e-mail, please be sure to fill out all of the information so that your legislator can directly respond to you.

In this Alert
1) Support Key Legislation for Nursing Homes
2) Contact House Members in Support of Travel/Life Insurance Legislation

The Mood
Today is the 29th day of the 105-day legislative session. Everyone continues to wait for the budget process to begin in earnest, as policy bills continue through the legislature. Please read this article in The Olympian concerning the Genetics legislation mentioned in previous alerts.

Last Thursday, the Washington Supreme Court ruled that the state estate tax was being applied unconstitutionally. The ruling was reported widely, so no attempt will be made here to explain it. The bottom line for our concerns is that the ruling has effectively reduced Washington's revenue by around $400 million for the upcoming biennium (2005-2007). Now the budget deficit is around $2.2 billion - this after $4 billion in cuts to health care, human services, and eduction programs over the past two biennia.

As reported in last week's alert, Governor Gregoire had planned to introduce her budget February 23rd. Even before the Supreme court ruling, Gregoire decided to move her budget until after the March 16 revenue forecast. She has asked her budget writers to "show" her a no new revenue budget. Rumor has it that the Governor has been appalled by the options shown to her so far.

Seniors
1) Issue: Ensuring Medicaid reimbursements for nursing homes is at a level that reflects the current cost of providing care for residents.

Update: Medicaid is a state and federal program that funds health related programs in the state. Approximately half of the funds come from the state, and the state has broad discretion in determining eligibility and funding criteria. Because health care costs are expanding significantly faster than inflation, budgeting for programs dependent on Medicaid expenditures becomes difficult.

Nursing homes like Caroline Kline Galland Home now receive up to 20% less from the Medicaid program than their actual cost of providing care. Of the 200-plus residents at Caroline Kline Galland Home, over half are on Medicaid. The Medicaid program pays for direct care of residents in addition to other services. Today’s nursing facility Medicaid payments are based on 1999 costs. Since 1999, nursing facilities have experienced increases in liability insurance premiums upwards of 250%, workers’ compensation premium increases of 40%, and increases in employee wages and benefits to remain competitive with home care workers’ wage increases, and normal inflationary costs for utilities, food and other operational costs.

Action: Contact your Senator in support of Senate Bill 5569

Adults
2) Issue: Life Insurance Discrimination Based on Travel

Update: The Senate version of this legislation was heard last week. This morning (Tuesday 2/8/05), the House Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee will hear public testimony on the house version, HB 1531. The ADL will testify, bringing volunteers that have personal experience with being denied life insurance. As requested in last week's alert, please respond to this email if you have been denied life insurance based on past travel.

Action: Contact your Representative in support of House Bill 1531