Public Policy Issues Impacting You!

The following information was compiled by the National Council on Aging (NCOA) and is provided to you for informational purposes only. The Lehigh Valley Direct Care Workers Association, Lehigh Valley Alliance on Aging (LVAA) and United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley do not endorse any specific piece of legislation or candidate.

House Companion to Empowered at Home Act Introduced

On Sept. 28, House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee Chairman Pallone (D-NJ) and Rep. DeGette (D-CO), introduced H.R. 7212, the House companion to Sen. Kerry’s (D-MA) Empowered at Home Act (S. 3327). The bill is designed to improve states’ ability to provide Medicaid home and community-based services (HCBS) to eligible beneficiaries.

According to NCOA, both the House and Senate bills would:

• Develop Medicaid demonstration grants for evidence-based health promotion and disease prevention programs, similar to those available under the OAA.
• Improve the HCBS State Plan Amendment Option passed under the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) of 2005.
• Ensure that spousal impoverishment protections available to couples in nursing homes also are available to those who choose HCBS.
• Improve Medicaid HCBS data collection.
• Analyze and report on state implementation of the Medicaid Home Health program.

In addition, the House bill would increase the federal Medicaid match (FMAP) by five percent for HCBS State Plan Amendment services provided under the DRA. It also would exclude from the asset/resource eligibility criteria for Medicaid HCBS services an amount equivalent to the cost of six months of nursing facility services. • Read H.R. 7212.

Social Security Announces 2009 Cost-of-Living Adjustment

On Oct. 16, the Social Security Administration announced a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) of 5.8 percent for 2009, the largest increase since 1982. Social Security COLAs are based on increases in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) over the past year. In January, the COLA will be applied to the Social Security benefits of over 50 million Americans. The increase for Supplemental Security Income (SSI), which goes to more than seven million beneficiaries, will begin on Dec. 31. The average Social Security benefit will increase $63 per month, compared with an average $24 per month increase in 2008. • Read more about the COLA.

AARP 2008 Voter Guide Available

AARP has released its Voter Guide for the 2008 election cycle. This Web-based tool presented questions to state and national candidates based on issues that are important to AARP members. Each candidate had the opportunity to respond, and AARP posted their responses (limited to 125 words). Issues include Social Security, retirement savings, healthcare affordability, and long-term care.• View the Presidential Election Voter Guide. • View the State Elections Voter Guide.