Tag Archives for House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi

The legislative wish list of Rhode Island’s groups on aging

Published in RINewsToday on April 15, 2024

The Rhode Island General Assembly’s 2024 session kicked off on Jan. 2, 2024, scheduled to adjourn on June 30, 2024.  According to LegiScan, over the last three months 2,164 bills have been thrown into the legislative hopper.

“The state budget will likely be voted upon by the House Finance Committee in late May or early June.  Then a week later it is considered by the full House of Representatives, followed by votes by the Senate Finance Committee and the full Senate, and the final step would be consideration by the Governor. That process is usually completed  by mid-June to late June because the new fiscal year begins on July 1.” says Larry Berman, who has served as House Communication Director for 22 legislative sessions.“

According to Berman, the Senate and House both focus on their priorities within their own chambers first, and once those bills pass, then discussions take place between the leadership teams of both chambers to finalize bills for passage in both chambers before sending them to the Governor.  That time period will be May, and well into June. 

Legislative Wish List

Aging advocates are pushing for their legislative agenda’s to be included in the House budget.  They also are carefully monitoring the status of bills that have been introduced, specifically those that will have an impact on programs and services delivered to older Rhode Islanders.

Maureen Maigret, Policy Advisor, of Senior Agenda Coalition of RI (SACRI) puts the passage of H 7333 and S 2399 on ita priority legislative list to assist financially struggling seniors and persons with disabilities on Medicare. “As many older adults are struggling financially, SACRI is prioritizing H7333 (by Rep. Karen Alzate) and S2399 (by Senator Sandra Cano) to expand the Medicare Savings Program eligibility up to $28,000. These bills would put more money in the pockets of lower-income persons not on Medicaid by covering the Medicare Part B premiums that amount to $2,100 a year and also help them with prescription drug costs,” she says.

To provide financial help to our many unpaid caregivers we also support S2375 (by Rep. Linda L. Ujifusa) and H7490 (by Rep. Susan Donovan) to create a state tax credit up to $1,000 for half the costs incurred to care for an older family member needing supports and S2121 (by Sen. Valarie J. Lawson) and H 7171 (by (by Rep. Joshua J Giraldo) to increase the Temporary Caregiver Insurance program from six to 12 weeks.

According to Maigret, there are a number of bills addressing housing issues that SACRI also supports including those to promote ADU development, funding for affordable senior housing and incorporating accessibility features into new housing.

H. 7062, sponsored by Rep. June S. Speakman has passed the House. This bill would boost hosing production by helping Rhode Islanders to develop  ADUs has been identified by as a high priority this year for House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi (D-Dist. 13, Warwick).

“In looking at the Governor’s State FY2025 budget we are advocating to add about $660,000 to the Office of Healthy Aging budget to increase funding to local communities to support local senior centers/programs to reach a level of $10 per each person age 65 and older in the city or town,” notes Maigret. SACRI calls for increased funding to implement the recommended increases for social and human services providers beyond the one-third level proposed by the Governor to help address the long wait list for accessing homecare services and provide more livable homecare staff wages. This is critical as the average private cost of home health aide services in RI is $36/hour, she notes.

“ As our industry continues to fight off the existential threats of inadequate funding and staffing shortages, our Association is staying laser focused on our homes receiving sufficient and sustainable financial reimbursements and supporting all initiatives to improve staff availability. Without substantive help from the General Assembly, we will continue to lose more homes and our ability to care for our most fragile RI citizens,” states John E. Gage, MBA, NHA, president and CEO of the Rhode Island Health Care Association. 

At AARP Rhode Island’s 2024 Legislative reception, State Director Catherine Taylor called for passage of H 7127 to provide an optional, voluntary Roth-IRA plan to the 172,000 Rhode Island employees who do not have access to a convenient, low-cost voluntary retirement savings plan through their employer.

The Secure Choice program, endorsed by Gov. Dan McKee and AARP Rhode Island, would be administered by the office of the General Treasurer, would see retirement savings accumulated in individual accounts for the exclusive benefit of the participants or their beneficiaries.  

The legislation has been referred to the House Finance Committee. A similar measure (S 2045) has been introduced in the upper chamber by Sen. Meghan E. Kallman.

According to Taylor, Secure Choice has been enacted in 18 states to date. In Connecticut, the program led to over 25,0000 workers saving over $19 million dollars in the first year of operation. These savings would not have been realized without Secure Choice.

Taylor also noted that Rhode Island is one of only 8 states that tax hard-earned Social Security benefits. “Our state tax on Social Security undermines the purpose of Social Security, which was designed to lift older adults out of poverty – not to fund state government,” she says.

AARP Rhode Island supports the efforts of Sen. Elaine Morgan (S 84) to completely eliminate the state tax on Social Security income and Sen. Walter Felag (S 246) to increase the thresholds to $ 110,000 for single, and $ 140,000 got joint filers, says Taylor.

“We would like to see the passage of S. 2556 [by Senators Lou Dipalma, Bridget Valverde, John Burke, and Pam Lauria] and H. 7493, sponsored by Rep. Scott Slater and Rep. Grace Diaz, that would establish a 20% add-on to the Medicaid per diem rate for nursing homes that have single-occupancy rooms and bathrooms,” says James Nyberg, executive director of LeadingAge RI.

According to Nyberg, there is a growing body of research that shows the benefits of single rooms on residents’ physical ad mental health and well-being, which was clearly exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.  “There is also the simple fact that it promotes human dignity. Older Rhode Islanders should not have to share a bathroom and shower with strangers during a frail time of life,” he says.

“As for the budget, we want to ensure that the nursing home funding included in the Governor’s budget is maintained, and the Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner recommended rate increases be expedited, if possible, as well,” says Nyberg.

Just a Few More to Watch

Here is a sampling of other bills, of interest to aging advocates, thrown into the legislative hopper this legislative session:

Sen. Linda L. Ujifusa and Rep. Megan Cotter are sponsoring a bill (H 7208, S 2063) to provide relief to some of the state’s most vulnerable households by raising the eligibility limit and the maximum credit for the “circuit breaker” tax credit, which benefits low-income seniors and individuals with disabilities. The bills have been referred to their chamber’s Finance Committee.

The circuit breaker credit program provides an income tax credit to low-income Rhode Island homeowners and renters who are over 65 or disabled, equal to the amount that their property tax exceeds a certain percent of their income. That percent ranges from 3 to 6 percent, based on household income. In the case of renters, a figure representing 20 percent of their annual rent is used in the place of property tax in the calculation.   

The Senate approved S 2082, sponsored by Sen. Melissa A. Murray, to limit insured patients’ co-pays for supplies and equipment used to treat diabetes to $25 for a 30-day supply.

The legislation would apply to private insurers, health maintenance organizations, nonprofit hospital service or medical service corporations and the state employee health insurance plans that cover such supplies. Under the bill, beginning Jan. 1 (or, for state employees, the next time the health plan contract is purchased or renewed by the state), co-pays for insulin administration and glucose monitoring supplies shall be capped at $25 for a 30-day supply, or per item when an item is intended to be used for longer than 30 days.

During this legislative session, S 0089 and H 5417 were introduced by Senator Meghan Kallman and Rep. Evan P. Shanley and take their savings with them when they change jobs. The legislative proposals have been referred to the House Finance and Senate Committees for consideration.

For more details about legislation being considered by the Rhode Island General Assembly, go to https://legiscan.com/RI/legislation/2024.

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Senior Agenda Coalition of RI unveils legislative agenda to packed house of seniors

Published in RINewsToday on April 1, 2024

Last Wednesday, the main ballroom at the Crowne Plaza in Warwick was filled, to capacity. Hundreds came to the Senior Agenda Coalition of RI’s (SACRI)  2024 Legislative Leaders Forum to learn about the advocacy group’s issue priorities. House and Senate leadership, along with members of both caucuses came to listen, learn and to respond to SACRI’s four priority issues for 2024.

We’re back, and we are stronger than ever,” announced Maureen Maigret, SACRI’s Policy Advisor, to 275 attendees who came to this year’s annual legislative forum held on March 27, 2024.  Before she unveiled SACRI’s ambitious legislative priorities she painted a demographic picture of older Rhode Islanders.

The graying of Rhode Island’s population

“We know that 200,000 Rhode Islanders are age 65 and over, and this number is growing,” noted Maigret. According to the former state legislator and Director of the Department of Elderly Affairs, in just six years, 1 in 5 persons will be age 65 and over. Today, 20% of the population in 18 Rhode Island communities are in their mid-sixties and over.

Many seniors still work. They pay taxes, provide care to loved ones, volunteer to contribute to their communities, and religiously vote,” stated Maigret, who noted that they contribute over $3.28 billion to Rhode Island’s economy through Social Security benefits. 

Maigret pointed out that as the older population ages, the percentage of woman increases over men.  At age 65 and over , 56% of this age distribution are woman, 44% are men.  At age 85 and over, the percentage of women rapidly increase to 69% compared to 31% for men. And in nursing homes, 68% of residents are woman while 32% are men. 

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, many older Rhode Islanders have limited incomes. Twenty-seven percent of age 65+ households earn less than $25,000 a year, while 50% earn less than $50,000 a year.

With women leaving their jobs over the years to raise their family, it is no surprise to Maigret that women’s incomes are less than men, this ultimately resulting in a smaller Social Security benefit. The average Social Security benefits of women aged 65 and over ($20,333) is $5,000 less than their male counterparts ($25,204), she says.

Unveiling SACRI’s Legislative Agenda

“Keeping seniors strong” is the theme of this year’s legislative forum, Maigret told the hundreds of seniors and aging advocates in attendance before announcing the SACRI priorities. SACRI is pushing for legislative issues in the areas of:

·       Economic Security

·       Supports at Home

·       Community Connections

·       Housing Options

She called on the House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi (D-Dist. 23, Warwick), and Senate Majority Whip, Valarie Lawson (D-Dist. 14, East Providence), in attendance, to support House and Senate legislation, and state budget proposals to address these issues.

SACRI’s top legislative priority is to addressEconomic Security issues. Polls show that healthcare affordability is a major concern, and this impacts many seniors.  Maigret pointed out that Medicare premiums  and co-payment gaps have a major impact on low-income Rhode Islanders who struggle to pay for healthcare, food, rent and basic needs.”

According to Maigret, legislative proposals (S. 2399/H. 7333) would be a legislative fix to reduce high out-of-pocket costs for persons on Medicare. The bills would expand income eligibility for the Medicare Savings Program (MSP), helping an estimated 17,000 low-income seniors and disabled residents pay their $175/month Medicare Part B premium and covering co-pays and deductibles for those with very low-income.

Thousands of low-income seniors and persons with disabilities on Medicare, but not eligible to participate in the state’s Medicaid program, struggle each month to pay their Medicare Part B premiums and co-pay costs for services and prescription drugs causing many to forgo needed health care as they cannot afford to pay the co-payments.

And eligibility to join MSP qualifies those on Medicare to enroll in the federal Extra Help program that provides significant additional financial assistance to pay for

SACRI also calls on the state lawmakers to provide necessary funding in the 2025 Fiscal Year Budget to enhance programs to assist seniors to age in place in their communities. “It’s a very important legislative issue for seniors,” notes Maigret, stressing that most seniors want to stay at home when they need care.   

In large part due to the existing home care staffing shortage, 75% of those referred for state-subsidized home care wait two months or more for these services. A state study recommended home care rate increases to improve access to home health care services which would help to address the worker shortage and provide livable wages for home care workers.  Maigret urged Shekarchi and Lawson to put funding in this year’s budget to implement the study’s recommendations.

Meanwhile, SACRI supports increased funding for local Senior Centers to enable them to continue to provide “community connections” to seniors. “They do amazing work by offering meal programs, technology assistance and training and all kinds of social, health and recreations programs, says Maigret.

Seniors benefit from, and enjoy going to Senior Centers, adds Maigret, reflecting on a comment told to her by a senior attending Warwick’s Pilgrim Senior Center. “It’s my home away from home,” she says.

Governor Dan McKee’s Fiscal Year 2025 Budget would distribute $1.4 million (about $7 per person aged 65 and over in each community) to the local communities for Senior Centers and programs. SACRI calls on the General Assembly to increase this budget allocation by about $660,000 (making the funding tied to $10 per person aged 65 and over. “It’s a small funding request,” says Maigret.

Finally, SACRI urges the General Assembly to continue to address the lack of options and affordability of housing for seniors. Maigret notes that this problem is the result of the state’s growing older population with fixed incomes, combined with low housing production, skyrocketing rent increases, and high property taxes, 

There are many legislative remedies to address the state’s housing crisis, says SACRI, calling on the General Assembly to use a portion of the proposed Housing Bonds to support affordable housing options for older Rhode Islanders. She also suggested that lawmaker’s continue funding the Home Modification Program, expanding the Property Tax Relief Program and finally promoting  accessibility features in new housing developments.

Like previous years, SACRI worked hard to drive home the point of putting a spotlight to its legislative agenda by having “storytellers” translated the priorities into personal stories.  

House Speaker talks turkey at Legislative Forum

Aging is a very important and personal issue to House Speaker Shekarchi, who is taking care of his 98-year-old father, who remains at home. “That is where he wants to be, he says. “I know that not everyone is fortunate – not everyone has the same support system,” says Shekarchi. “But it’s important that seniors have options so they can choose what’s best for them,” he says

“We need to provide support for seniors to age in place and to remain in their homes, living independently,” states Shekarchi. A great option – which is also the top legislative priority for AARP Rhode Island this year – is creating Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). They enable seniors – even young college graduates – to live independently while remaining near family and others, he adds.

“As for seniors who live in assisted living facilities and nursing homes, we need to ensure those facilities are adequately staffed, and that caregivers are paid a sustainable wage,” says Shekarchi. 

“We expect this to be a very challenging budget year, with many worthwhile, but competing, priorities,” says Shekarchi.

“I know the Senior Agenda has legislative priorities in 2024 that I promise we will consider very carefully. And I have a request for all of you. Please stay involved, make your voices heard at the State House,” Shekarchi suggests, “give us feedback. You can testify in person at the State House, or in writing by letter or email.

Valarie Lawson, Senate Majority Whip, took the opportunity to discuss the Rhode Island HEALTH Initiative… a Senate legislative package designed to address affordability and accessibility of health care in the state.

According to Lawson, the HEALTH Initiative seeks to ensure the strength of the state’s community hospitals, attract, and retain primary care doctors and makes sure Rhode Islanders can access quality, affordable care. The legislation includes a bill by Sen. Alana DiMario to create a drug affordability commission in Rhode Island … which is a critical step to make the state’s prescription drug system less complicated and less costly. And Sen. V. Susan Sosnowski’s legislation to transform and mandate a continuous Medicaid reimbursement rate review process by the Office of the Health Insurance Commission.

Lawson noted the Senate was working on the SACRI MSP priority legislation and that she is a co-sponsor of the bill. She said that the Senate shares the Senior Agenda’s  priority of making Rhode Island a place where residents can age with comfort and security. “At the State House… we rely on your voices to help guide us,” she said.

Call to Action

Diane Santos, SACRI Board Chair, ended the forum with a Call to Action for attendees to let their voices be heard by contacting their local legislators to express their concerns and to support programs to help keep seniors strong.

SACRI Legislative Leaders Forum organizational partners included: Cranston Enrichment Center, Edward King House, Leon Mathieu Senior Center, Meals on Wheels RI, Pilgrim Senior Center, Ocean State Center for Independent Living, St. Martin de Porres Center, The RI Organizing Project and The Village Common of RI.

To watch the 2024 Senior Agenda Coalition Leaders Forum Conference, go to: https://capitoltvri.cablecast.tv/show/9023

Report says nation not prepared to tackle senior housing crisis

Published in RINewsToday on March 11, 2024

With the graying of America, the nation is unprepared to provide needed housing and care for millions of seniors, warns a recently released 40-page report by the Cambridge-based Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies.  The US population age 65 and over has skyrocketed 34% in the last decade, from 43 million in 2012 to 58 million in 2022. This growth is widespread, with urban, suburban, and rural communities across the country reporting increases in older residents, notes the report released on Nov. 30, 2023.

The report’s authors noted that over the same period, the share of households headed by older adults increased from 22 to 27% of all U.S. Households. The number of households headed by a person aged 80 and over will more than double between 2021 and 2040 to reach nearly 17 million households.  

Key takeaways of Harvard’s Housing Report

According to the report, “Housing America’s Older Adults 2023,” as the nation’s population of older adults swells, so, too, does demand for housing that is both affordable and able to accommodate older adults’ changing [health care] needs.   

Accessible housing is also in short supply, say the authors, noting that fewer than 4% of US homes offered the three key features of accessible housing—single-floor living, no-step entries, and wide hallways and doorways—at last measure.

As the US population ages, more older adults will struggle to afford either the home of their choice or the care they need, warns the report. “With subsidies for housing and LTC services scarce, many older adults will have to forgo needed care or rely on family and friends for assistance,” says Jennifer Molinsky, Project Director of the Housing on Aging Society Program at the Center. More funding would be a start, but there is tremendous need for creative alternatives to existing models of care and housing to better support the country’s rapidly aging population,” suggests the report. 

The report noted that seniors, whose incomes are often fixed or declining, increasingly face the “twin challenges” of finding affordable housing and the health care services they need to remain independent and at home. In 2021, an all-time high of nearly 11.2 million older adults were cost burdened, meaning they spent more than 30 percent of their income on housing. Cost burdens are particularly high for renters, homeowners with mortgages, and households aged 80 and over, the report emphasized.  

Costly long-term care (LTC) is out of reach for most seniors, the authors noting the cost of  LTC averaging over $100 per day, nationwide.  They say that most seniors who require these services, having very low incomes, have the fewest resources to pay for them. When LTC services are combined with housing costs, only 14% of single people 75 and over can afford a daily visit from a paid caregiver, and just 13% can afford to move to assisted living.    

The researchers say that government-funded rental assistance can provide crucial support to older adults with very low incomes, but demand dramatically outstrips supply. With homelessness on the rise among the older population, assistance is more important than ever, they add.  Even those with slightly higher incomes also struggle to qualify for government assistance; 29% of people living alone, aged 75+, have incomes above 50% of area median income, but cannot afford the cost of assisted living. Just 8% of this group could afford a daily visit from a home health aide, the report found.

Equity in housing as we age

The report also found that renters and homeowners of color face steeper burdens, too, in paying for housing.  While some older adults have home equity that can be tapped to pay for care or services, many do not. “This is not only because of the increasing number of older adults, but because of widening wealth and income inequality,” says Jennifer Molinsky, Project Director of the Housing an Aging Society Program at the Center, in a statement released on Nov. 30, 2023.  She served as the report’s lead author.

Older renters have only 2% of the net wealth of older homeowners and there are steep inequalities among owners as well; older Black homeowners have the lowest housing equity at $123,000, compared to $251,000 for older white homeowners, $200,000 for older Hispanic owners, and $270,000 for older owners who are Asian, multiracial, or another race, say the authors.

The report’s findings indicated that mortgage debt among older adults is rising, noting that between 1989 and 2022, the share of homeowners 65 to 79 with a mortgage increased from 24 to 41%, and the median mortgage debt shot up over 400%, from $21,000 in 1989 to $110,000.  Over 30% of homeowners age 80 and over are also carrying mortgages, up from just 3% three decades ago.

“Borrowing is often a way for older homeowners to access cash for basic needs or care,” says Chris Herbert, Managing Director of the Center. “Given the importance of housing equity later in life there is a real need for safe and affordable mortgage products that work for older owners with limited incomes,” says Herbert.

The report’s authors suggested that financing incentives could provide better opportunities for those who wish to remain in their communities, but in more suitable homes; this would be particularly welcome in rural and other low-density areas where the choices are especially limited.

Climate change impacts housing

Finally, the growing threat of climate change is impacting older homeowners. The report’s authors noted that some states long favored by older adults because of their warmer weather are increasingly experiencing extreme heat and harsh storms. In addition to health risks, property damage is a rising concern, particularly for the increasing number of older people without insurance. “Severe storms in Florida caused $228 billion in property damage from February 2020 through April 2023, a state that is home to 8.3% of the nation’s older population,” says the report.

Tackling the senior housing crisis in Rhode Island

“Accessibility and affordability of housing has reached a crisis level, impacting all age groups. This excellent report from the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University confirms that the impact on older Americans is particularly acute. That is why my focus on housing issues is at the top of my agenda, and why I am fighting so hard to pass legislation encouraging the development of accessory dwelling units (ADUs), the number one priority of AARP.  The Harvard study makes it very clear that the need for housing and housing-based care for older adults is growing at an alarming rate, and in Rhode Island, I am dedicated to increasing the availability of suitable housing opportunities for our older residents,” says House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi (D-Dist. 23, Warwick).

“The housing report provides comprehensive information on the significant challenges related to the housing needs of older adults. The challenges in Rhode Island are amplified by an old housing stock usually lacking accessibility features and our low rate of housing production,” says Maureen Maigret, policy advisor for the Senior Agenda Coalition of RI.

Maigret, a former Director of the former Department of Elderly Affairs, identifies one particularly relevant section of Harvard’s Housing Report that discusses dual problems faced by older adults with both housing and support needs and how few have the financial means to pay for both housing and even a small amount of home care. This is important for Rhode Island with its high costs for long term care and a growing older population.

The Senior Agenda Coalition of RI (SACRI) applauds House Speaker Shekarchi and so many members of the legislature, specifically for their intense efforts to address the state’s housing needs, says Maigret. “We support the Governor’s budget proposal for a $100 Million Affordable Housing Bond issue but recommend the amount be increased along with an increase in the suggested amount of funds for priority projects for vulnerable populations including economically struggling seniors from just $7.5 Million of the bond dollars,” she says.

SACRI also supports legislation to ease development of ADUs, proposals that include accessibility features in new housing production, continuing the state Home Modification grant program and increasing the income cap for the state Property Tax Relief program, a program that helps both older homeowners and renters) to $50,000,” she says. 

ADUs and the Ocean State

Last week, Senator Victoria Gu (D-Dist. 38, Westerly, Charlestown, South Kingstown) introduced S. 2630, that would allow homeowners to develop an accessory dwelling units (ADU) within the existing footprint of their structures by right, or build an attached or detached ADU if the lot is large enough. This is the companion bill to the one introduced in the House.

ADUs, sometimes referred to as in-law apartments, backyard cottages or “granny flats”, are accessories to existing housing, created as a conversion of part of a house (such as a walkout basement), an attachment to a house, a garage conversion, or a smaller, detached dwelling. They have become increasingly popular around the country in recent years as states and municipalities balance the need to create more housing with preserving the character of residential neighborhoods.

Seniors, especially, have taken to ADUs as a way to downsize while continuing to stay independent in the community. Now the Senate is poised to pass legislation to boost ADU development.

S. 2630 is similar to H 7062, sponsored by Rep. June S. Speakman (D-Dist. 68, Warren, Bristol) which passed the House on Feb. 14, but it differs primarily in how it allows municipalities to apply several code regulations.

If the Senate passes an ADU bill this year, lawmakers will have an opportunity to reconcile the two bills, either passing the house or senate version, or reconciling them somewhere in the middle, or making changes that aren’t in either. Lawmakers must now compromise, on behalf of their older constituents to hammer out legislation for Gov. Dan McKee to sign into law. This would be a first step in tackling the Senior housing crisis in Rhode Island.  It’s a no brainer – and passing it this year is critical to addressing the crisis in housing.

For a copy of Harvard’s Housing report, go to https://www.jchs.harvard.edu/housing-americas-older-adults-2023.