Advocacy Day Participants Find Strong Congressional Support for ALFA Initiatives

ALFA advocates representing assisted living companies and
communities from almost every state, gathered in Washington, DC, on
February 27 to ask  members of Congress for their support for ALFA’s 
public policy initiatives and to educate members and  congressional
staff about assisted living. ALFA  advocates visited more than 50
members of Congress and/or their staff during the ALFA Advocacy Day
event which highlighted two initiatives: Medicare Part D Drug Co-Pay
Relief and the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports
(CLASS) Act.

Medicare Part D Drug Co-Pay Relief
Advocacy Day participants asked House members to support proposed
legislation by Congressmen Lloyd Doggett (D-25th TX) and Lincoln
Diaz-Balart (R-21st FL) that will eliminate co-payments for
prescriptions drugs under the Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Program
for dual eligible residents in home and community-based settings,
including assisted living communities. All members and congressional
staff that were visited indicated support for the legislation. ALFA
will follow up with these members over the next several weeks and will
provide specific information for their respective states that
demonstrate the savings for state and federal governments by serving
dual eligible residents in assisted living communities instead of
nursing homes. Senate Bill 1107 is identical to the proposed House
legislation and is being supported on a bipartisan basis.

CLASS Act                                                                         
The Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act aims
to provide individuals with functional limitations with the tools that
will allow them to maintain their personal and financial independence
and continue living in senior housing through a new financing strategy
for community living assistance services. This legislation not only
emphasizes the utilization of home and community-based supports and
services but more importantly creates a model of paying for long-term
care services and supports that will not increase Medicaid or Medicare
expenditures and is open to any American citizen, regardless of income,
for an estimated $30 per month on a voluntary basis. ALFA supports this
and other measures that encourage personal financial responsibility for
long-term care costs and allows consumers the right to choose the
services and settings to receive those services.

ALFA will host its next Advocacy Day on April 9th that will focus on
protecting the right of workers to hold secret ballot elections when
determining whether they wish to be represented by a union. Advocates
will visit members of Congress and their staff and ask them to support
the Secret Ballot Protection Act and to oppose the Employee Free Choice
Act, which would eliminate secret ballot elections. ALFA invites
advocates to participate in this event. Contact Micah Intermill for details.