AARP Florida: Floridians 50+ Score Some Wins in 2016 Session

For immediate release
March 11, 2016

Contact:
Dave Bruns
850.577.5161 o
850.228.2759 c
dbruns@aarp.org

AARP Florida: Floridians 50+ Score Some Wins in 2016 Session;
Budget Showed Progress But Too Many People Still Wait for Help

New guardianship law establishes new protection for vulnerable older Floridians;
gains in affordable housing funding are welcome

Tallahassee, Fla. – In the 2016 legislation session, Floridians age 50-plus scored solid wins on oversight of professional guardians, blocking cost increases for consumers seeking their medical records and setting the stage for expanding health care delivered by remote technology.

Legislators also increased the number of “slots”, or authorizations, that allow frail or disabled people to receive services from a range of home- and community-based services, including Community Care for the Elderly, Home Care for the Elderly or services through the state’s Medicaid managed long-term care initiative.  The increase was about half again larger than in 2015, when legislators approved an additional 800-plus slots.  However, official confirmation of the number of additional slots was not available on Friday.

“Any increase in funding to help family caregivers is welcome,” said Jeff Johnson, AARP’s Florida state director.  “But in a year when we learned that more than 6,500 frail and disabled people die while waiting for caregiver support that never comes, this year represents marginal progress.  It’s time to pick up the pace.”

Across Florida, about 60,000 Floridians currently are on state waiting lists for at least one of a series of services that help families keep their loved ones at home or in their communities.  Some services provide home-health aides, visits by nurses, respite care to give caregivers a needed break or even Meals on Wheels.  In February, Politico reported that more than 6,500 people died on the waiting list for state home- and community-based services in the state’s 2014-2015 fiscal year. 

Johnson noted solid progress by state lawmakers on issues that AARP fought for in the 2016 session. Lawmakers:

• Approved, and Gov. Rick Scott signed, SBS 232, the guardianship bill. The new law establishes regulation and supervision of professional guardians by the Florida Department of Elder Affairs. DOEA will receive and investigate complaints and take disciplinary actions in cases where professional guardians have taken advantage of wards whose affairs they manage under court order. (Our blog)
• Blocked a proposal, PCB RORS2, that would have allowed the state Board of Medicine to increase costs for patients to obtain copies of their medical records by up to 300 percent.
• Passed legislation requiring the state Agency for Health Care Administration to survey health facilities, insurers and health-maintenance organizations about existing uses of remote technology to help patients. A new Tele-Health Advisory Council also will conduct a study on the issue and provide lawmakers with a report in 2018 that could form the basis for further legislation.
• Protected funds used to provide affordable housing. Lawmakers included $64.6 million to fund construction or rehabilitation of affordable housing for older adults, the homeless and persons with disabilities.
• Adopted legislation that will treat increasingly important digital assets of someone’s estate in the same way that physical assets are treated.

 

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, with a membership of more than 37 million, that helps people turn their goals and dreams into real possibilities, strengthens communities and fights for the issues that matter most to families such as healthcare, employment security and retirement planning. We advocate for consumers in the marketplace by selecting products and services of high quality and value to carry the AARP name as well as help our members obtain discounts on a wide range of products, travel, and services. A trusted source for lifestyle tips, news and educational information, AARP produces AARP The Magazine, the world's largest circulation magazine; AARP Bulletin; www. aarp.org; AARP TV & Radio; AARP Books; and AARP VIVA, a bilingual news source. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to political campaigns or candidates. AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors and sponsors. AARP has staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

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