Kansas House Health and Human Services Committee to Hear Testimony on the CARE Act

 

On Wednesday, February 3, 2016, the Kansas House Health and Human Services Committee will hold a hearing on House Bill 2058, the CARE Act.  The CARE Act, introduced at the request of AARP Kansas to support the state's more than 345,000 caregivers, will assist caregivers when the person for whom they are providing care is released from the hospital. The CARE Act allows hospital patients to designate a caregiver whose name is recorded in hospital records. If a caregiver is designated, the hospital must notify the caregiver when the patient is to be discharged and must give instructions on how to care for the patient.

The goal of the bill is to achieve a transition to home that is as seamless as possible, where communication about home care is understood according to appropriate cultural standards, language and literacy levels for both the patient and the caregiver. House Bill 2058 recognizes that Kansas caregivers play critical roles in keeping their loved ones out of costly institutions, enhancing the quality of care and reducing the possibility of costly hospital readmissions for their loved ones.

AARP Kansas is asking state legislators to vote in favor of the CARE Act to support the thousands of caregivers in Kansas who provide more than $3.85 billion annually in unpaid care.

The hearing will take place in room 546-South at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 3.  To contact your legislator and ask for support of the CARE Act, visit www.kslegislature.org.