Money Talk with Montgomery County Seniors Organized for Change

Yesterday, I had an opportunity to visit with Seniors Organized for Change, at the Charles E. Smith Life Communities, in Rockville.  I spoke about my role as MFP Chair, what the recent AAA bond rating meant for the County, and how changes in the FY11 budget impacted senior services and programs in Montgomery County.  With just over fifty members in attendance, we had an engaging question and answer period and covered several topics including the restoration of the County’s reserves, and the new provisional energy tax.

End-of-Life Dialogue Matters

I joined several guest speakers, on July 8^th, at the Older Women’s League (OWL) Montgomery County Chapter meeting, exploring the topic “End-of-Life: Who Decides?”  The subject wasn’t an unfamiliar one, and I shared, with those gathered, my own experience with my family when my mother was ill and passing on, several years ago.  It’s extremely important that families and individuals have a plan, and I’ve found that the Living & Thriving in Montgomery County Guide for residents 60 and over is a very concise resource worth reading.

I additionally spoke about ‘Comfort Care,’ as family members sometimes discover that varying levels of resistance exists with regard to the provision of pain management in hospice versus hospital settings; and the discussion is not only important for parents but also among siblings and spouses.  My final contribution was to highlight the services available to Montgomery County residents through the Health and Human Services Aging and Disability Services office.

One of the more critical discussions held among the group was about the Advanced Directives form, the fact that there are several versions of the form (including its being available in multiple languages), and that it differs from a Living Will.  For more information on Advanced Directives visit http://www.oag.state.md.us/Healthpol/AdvanceDirectives.htm#know, and on Maryland’s Health Decisions Policy go to http://www.oag.state.md.us/Healthpol/index.htm.

The additional speakers included Donna Wagner, the national president of OWL; Paul Ballard, Assistant Attorney General (Counsel, Health Decisions Policy), State of Maryland; and Karen Northwood from the Montgomery County Coalition on End-of-Life.

Health Care Reform and Montgomery County Seniors—Sen. Mikulski’s Leisure World Town Hall

Today, I joined a colleague and ‘champion in the fight for quality healthcare,’ Senator Barbara Mikulski, as she hosted a health care town hall at Leisure World in Silver Spring. Being present today was important to me as we all continue the necessary dialogue around health care reform, what it means for you and me, and especially how it affects our senior Montgomery County residents. Others additionally addressing the Leisure World seniors were County Executive Isiah Leggett; Kathy Greenlee, Assistant Secretary for Aging, Administration on Aging (AoA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; and Jordan L. Harding, President of the Democratic Club of Leisure World.

Senator Mikulski spoke briefly to the empathetic group of her recent and very personal experience of needing in-home medical support. She went on to share that as she worked with fellow senators on crafting Health Reform legislation she found herself “living the need” that faces many Montgomery County residents and numerous American citizens; and that any reform efforts at the federal, state, or city council levels of government begins with people first and then finding the “will and wrought” to bring programs to fruition. I couldn’t have said it better.

The overarching tone by Mikulski in speaking about “The Affordable Care Act” (more commonly called “Health Care Reform”) was of one of transparency and the necessity of sticking to the facts. She firmly said, “No one will come between you and your doctor—not the government and not the insurance company! ... The Health Reform is the USA way, not the U.K. way; it does not involve the government interfering.” A summary of Senator Mikulski’s bulleted presentation on the new Health Care Reform follows:

• You Can Keep the Doctor You Have
• Annual Wellness Visits with the doctor of your choice (to audit your healthcare status and thus better enable prevention and early detection)
•  Elimination of Co Pays and Deductibles for Prevention Screenings for both men and women (mammograms, heart disease screening, prostate screenings, cholesterol screenings)

   

Assistant Secretary Greenlee presented on the often-talked-about-but-seldom-clear issue of “Closing of the Doughnut Hole,” where the new legislation intends to phase out the “doughnut hole” effect created by Medicare Part D, the prescription drug benefit offered by the federal Medicare program. Following are key points from her presentation:

• Starting June 10, 2010 a one-time $250 rebate check will be automatically mailed to seniors who hit the doughnut hole in 2010
• Beginning January 1, 2011, seniors who become affected by the doughnut hole will (i) receive a 50% discount on brand name drugs and (ii) receive a 7% discount on generic drugs

There were several questions directed at both Senator Mikulski and Assistant Secretary Greenlee on efforts to thwart growing physician resistance to accepting Medicaid patients, the effects of the reform on Veteran’s Affairs and the TRICARE health care program, and fighting Medicare fraud. Mikulski shared that Medicare Fraud was indeed a federal crime and those convicted faced stiff penalties according to the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, including serious jail time.

One last bit of information shared by Assistant Secretary Greenlee was the significant news that next year the Open Enrollment period necessary for seniors to participate in the Medicare Part D Prescription Drug plan will begin earlier, and will run from October 15, 2011 to December 7, 2011. This year’s Annual Coordinated Election Period will be from November 15 to December 31.

For More Information, contact or go to (bi/multi-lingual resources available):

http://www.healthreform.gov/
http://www.medicare.gov/
1-800-MEDICARE

County Council Town Hall at Leisure World

This afternoon, I joined my Council colleagues for a televised Town Hall meeting at Leisure World in Silver Spring. The program was very well attended by Leisure World residents, and I saw many, many friends there. The women and men who live there always ask insightful questions of their guests and today was no exception.

Among the many questions asked—and answered—were those related to transportation and traffic, economic development, the growing deer population, senior services, the Costco project, the future of the Sligo Creek Golf Course, the Veterans Park in Wheaton, and County budget issues.

Many thanks to the Leisure World community for their warm welcome and their continuing interest in our work.

Affordable Housing for Seniors and Persons with Developmental Disabilities

I was honored to have been invited to moderate a panel discussion on “Housing for Seniors and Persons with Developmental Disabilities” at this year’s Affordable Housing Conference, which was convened at the Conference Center in North Bethesda. I was joined in the panel discussion by representatives of the County’s Department of Health and Human Services, and affordable housing providers, Jubilee and Victory Housing. We discussed strategies to meet the housing needs of Montgomery County's seniors and adults with developmental disabilities, particularly in light of ongoing budget shortfalls.

Since its inception in 1991, the Affordable Housing Conference of Montgomery County (AHCMC) continues to tackle affordable housing related issues and their impacts specifically upon Montgomery County, MD residents. The mission of AHCMC is to bring together elected officials, housing and community development leaders, business professionals, activists and others to work toward affordable housing solutions.

Through its annual conference, awards programs, seminars, advocacy efforts and roundtable meetings, AHCHC seeks to form coalitions that identify and address issues including, but not limited to, workforce housing, mixed-use and mixed-income developments, inclusionary zoning, preservation of rental housing, first time home ownership, lending and fair housing, public-private partnerships and housing for people with disabilities. Throughout the year, Board members work closely with local, state and federal government officials, private developers, financial institutions and other nonprofit organizations to insure that affordable housing remains at the forefront of local, state and national legislative and regulatory agendas. As a 501(c)(3) organization, AHCMC is able to provide technical and advisory assistance and work closely with organizations in their efforts to provide affordable housing efficiently and effectively.

For more information about the Affordable Housing Conference, visit. http://www.affordablehousingconference.org/.