| April 24, 2008 |
Vol 15, Issue
20 | |
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FAHSA
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| Welcome to
this week's edition of the FAHSA Link.
One Week Left of
2008 Legislative Session -- In spite of a 16-hour
standoff that occurred in the House last Friday evening and
Saturday morning between Democratic and Republican leaders,
legislators resumed activities on Monday as if nothing had
happened. Bills sponsored by members of the minority party
that were pulled from the special order calendar were back on
track. Our HIV/AIDS continuing education bill (SB 646), which
was affected by the disagreement, passed the House on Tuesday
and is on its way to the Governor.
With only a week
left of the 2008 Legislative Session, House Speaker Marco
Rubio is still intent on passing more property tax relief.
Yesterday, the House passed HJR 7125, a proposed
constitutional amendment similar to CP 45, a proposal voted
down by the Taxation and Budget Reform Commission that limits
spending for both state and local governments. HJR 7125 is in
messages to the Senate, where there is little interest in
tackling more property tax reform this year. Several other
property tax bills have passed the House or are on Special
Order Calendar, but few have a Senate
companion.
Budget conferees
concluded their work on Wednesday. Unresolved
differences between the House and Senate are now in the hands
of Senator Lisa Carlton, Chair of Fiscal Policy, and Rep. Ray
Sansom, Chair of the Policy & Budget Council. Please
be sure to read FAHSA's Legislative Weekly Update that will be
e-mailed to you on Friday for details on funding for health
and human services.
Weekly TBRC
Update
TBRC
Passes Constitutional Proposal 0002 - After much
debate, the Taxation and Budget Reform Commission passed
Constitutional Proposal 0002 this afternoon by an 18 to 7
vote. Eight "no" votes were needed for the proposal to fail.
CP 0002 eliminates the portion of property tax
attributed to education but replaces it with a penny increase
in the sales tax, a mandate to the Legislature to repeal sales
tax exemptions that do not serve public purpose, and opens the
door for a sales tax on services.Commissioner Greg Turberville
offered an amendment that replaced the text with language in
CP 0021, another less onerous Constitutional proposal before
the Commission, but the amendment did not pass. The Commission
did adopt changes to CP 0002 proposed by the Style and
Drafting Committee, which is to our benefit. The Commission
did not take any testimony from the public. Members of the
business coalition, of which FAHSA is a participant, have been
contacting Commissioner's all week, urging for a "no" vote on
CP 0002. In addition, Senate Finance and Tax Committee Chair
Mike Haridopolos held a committee meeting on the proposal last
Friday, hoping to call attention to the problems that the tax
swap will create. (Please see related article.)
Unfortunately, these efforts fell short of convincing
commissioners to abandon their support of CP 0002.
Senate
Finance and Tax Committee Chair Speaks Out Against CP 0002 --
This week, State Senator Mike Haridopolos
(R-Melbourne), Chair of the Finance and Tax Committee, was
quoted in several newspapers about his opposition to
Constitutional Proposal 0002, a product of the Taxation and
Budget Reform Commission, that is appointed every 20 years to
study and make nonpolitical changes to Florida's tax code. A
Web site
created to educate the public about the proposal contains a
detailed written and audio explanation by Haridopolos of why
the "tax swap" is a flawed but seductive plan that could
"lower one tax (property) in favor of raising countless
others." Haridopolos acknowledges that the Commission is an
independent body over which the Legislature has no
authority.
Nonetheless, he has taken on the responsibility of
calling attention to the problems that the proposal could
create if it makes it to the November ballot and is passed by
voters. By the time you receive this publication, the
Commission will have voted on CP 0002 for the final time. It
will be interesting to see if the renewed attention that
Haridopolos has called to the proposal has an effect on the
outcome of the vote.
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| CCRC /
Retirement Community News |
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Resources
Available on Senior Living Statistics -- Seniors Housing
Statistical Handbook, Edition V, first published
in 1999, and updated in 2008, is a compilation of over
120 graphics (tables and charts) of data covering a range of
topics related to demographics of the senior population and
characteristics about senior housing, and residents and their
adult children. The publication can be purchased by clicking
on:
The National
Investment Center (NIC) Compendium Project: A Guide to
Long-Term Care Projection and Simulation Mode
is the first
comprehensive review and analysis of research on long-term
care financing in America. Conducted by RTI International for
NIC, the project involved compiling and analyzing all major
studies and projection modeling to date on the issue. A press
release with a brief summary of this seminal report and info
on how to obtain the publication are available by
clicking above.
Source: Kathryn Brod, Sr. Vice
President, Senior Living Finance, Ziegler Capital
Markets |
| District and Membership News |
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Make
Plans to Attend FAHSA's Next Regional Meeting -"Disaster
Preparedness" -- Disaster
Preparednesswill
be the next featured educational topic at FAHSA's regional
meetings in early June. The meeting will be from 11:00
a.m. to 3:15 p.m., and include lunch and roundtable
discussions. If you have any discussion topics for this
meeting, please e-mail them to Susan Tobin, stobin@fahsa.org
Watch your e-mail for more information on these programs and
mark your calendar to attend one or more of the dates listed
below:
FAHSA's
Upcoming Regional Meeting Schedule
June
3 SE Florida
Region
Jacob Building at the Douglas Gardens
Campus,
June
4 SW Florida
Region
Sunnyside Village, Sarasota
June
5 Central
Florida Region The
Mayflower Retirement Community, Winter Park
June
6 North
Florida
Copeland Community Center, Advent Christian Village
FAHSA Calendar of
Events |
| Education News |
Pictured from left to right: First photo -- Senator
Nan Rich (D-34), and Alma Ballard, FAHSA's Chair and Executive
Director, Family Housing Management Co., Inc.; Second Photo --
Charles Coxson, FAHSA's Award Chair and CCRC Chair, and
Regional Vice President, ACTS, Inc.; and Jeff Rock, Executive
Director, Azalea Trace, Pensacola.
Advocates
Extraordinaire Honored -- Last week,
during the legislative workshop, FAHSA recognized two
individuals for their outstanding efforts to promote sound
public policy which benefits older Floridians and the
providers that serve them. The first was Senator
Nan Rich (D-Sunrise) who was presented with our 2007
Legislative Award.
Senator Rich is known for her tenacious efforts on
behalf of the old, the young and the disabled. Last year, she worked
with FAHSA staff to ensure that frail elders are not forced
into managed care when Florida Senior Care takes effect. Over
the past few months, she has been an outspoken member of the
Senate Health and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee
in her efforts to maintain adequate funding for nursing homes
and other long-term care providers. Our second honoree was
Jeff Rock, the Executive Director of Azalea Trace, a
Continuing Care Retirement Community in Pensacola. Mr. Rock
received our 2008 Advocate of the Year award for his
long-standing efforts to educate lawmakers about long-term
care and affordable housing for older Floridians. Over the
years, Mr. Rock has met privately with countless legislators
and regularly testifies at his local legislative delegation
meetings.
Congratulations to these dedicated
advocates.
Don't
Miss your Chance to be a Part of the Leadership AAHSA Class of
2009!
-- Leadership AAHSA offers a challenging and engaging
year-long learning experience, designed to help aging services
professionals accelerate their leadership
development. Tuition waivers are
available - so please apply!!! To fill out an
application, please click on the online
application form.
The application deadline is May 15,
2008.
ACTS Communities Plan Two
Culture Change Workshops
-- Edgewater
Pointe Estates in Boca Raton and Azalea Trace in Pensacola
will sponsor two culture change workshops, entitled "A State
Model of Culture Change in Nursing Facilities", featuring the
work by Leslie A. Grant, Ph.D., of University of Minnesota and
LaVrene Norton, MSW of Action Pact, Inc. The workshops will be
held in Boca Raton on May 20, 2008, and in Pensacola on May
22, 2008. For
more information or to receive a registration form, please
contact Justine Thompson at justinet@actslife.org
Upcoming Educational
Events:
May
12-16, 2008 -
CASP, St. Petersburg Jr. College, St. Petersburg
May
19, 2008 -
Webinar -- How to Submit Medicaid Claims through EDS New Web
Portal
June
10, 2008 -
Webinar - Changes in Eligibility Requirements for LTC Programs
July
27, 2008 -
FAHSA's 5th Annual Strategic Visioning Workshop,
Boca Raton Resort
July
28-31, 2008 -
FAHSA's 45th Annual Convention and Exposition, Boca
Raton Resort
FAHSA Calendar of
Events
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| General
News |
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FAHSA's Senior
Vice President of Public Policy Urges FADONA Members to
Participate in Grass-roots Advocacy -- On April 18, Mary
Ellen Early addressed members of the Florida Association of
Directors of Nursing Administration at their 21st
annual convention and trade show in Orlando. She
provided an overview of bills related to long-term care that
are under consideration by the Florida Legislature as well as
an update on legislative activity related to the budget for
fiscal year 2008-09. Ms. Early urged nurse leaders to stay
informed about regulatory proposals at the state and federal
levels that affect their ability to fulfill their professional
and legal responsibilities to residents and patients in their
care. She reminded the nurses in attendance about the
importance of grass-roots advocacy when it comes to educating
lawmakers about the relationship of adequate funding to the
recruitment and retention of high-quality staff.
Register Your
Homecoming Events With AAHSA -- There are five
weeks left until AAHSA's 1st Annual Homecoming
Celebration and only 60 events have been reported in our
database. Only one Florida organization is on the list.
Everyone who registers by May 7 will receive a special
Homecoming Celebration Video to kick off their
event.
CAST
Publishes White Paper on Technology in Aging
Services --
The Center for Aging Services Technologies (CAST), in
conjunction with the Aging Services of California developed a
paper to describe the current state of affairs of technology
in aging services and related policy. It also serves as a
foundation for a call to action for providers, technology
companies, and government and private payers to advance
technology development and application. The purpose of this
paper is to describe the current state of affairs of
technology in aging services and related policy, particularly
with regard to the advancement of technology-enabled services
in long-term care and individual home settings. It is to serve
as a foundation for a call to action for providers, technology
companies, and government and private payers to advance
technology development and application. This will be the first
of several papers that focus on individual states' progress to
date and potential opportunities for advancement in the use of
aging service technologies. To download a copy of
the paper, click here.
Taxpayers Can Check
Their Refund Status with "Where's My Refund?"
-- Taxpayers who
have filed their federal income tax returns and are expecting
their refunds can use the Internal Revenue Service's online
tool, "Where's My Refund?," to check on the status of their
refunds.
"Where's My
Refund?" is fast, easy, safe and convenient. Nearly
9.7 million taxpayers have checked the status of their 2007
federal income tax refunds online, up about 18 percent over
the same time period last year. To get to personalized refund
information, taxpayers should be ready to enter their:
- Social Security
Number (or Taxpayer Identification Number),
- Filing status
(Single, Married Filing Joint Return, Married Filing
Separate Return, Head of Household, or Qualifying
Widow(er)),
- Exact refund
amount shown on their tax returns.
Taxpayers
can check on the status of their refund seven days after
e-filing a return. For a paper return, check four to six weeks
after mailing the return.
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| Housing
News |
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Budget
Finalized for Sadowski Housing Trust Fund --
The agreement has been reached for FY-08-09 on the Sadowski
housing trust fund for a total appropriation of $303 million,
compared to an FY 07-08 budget allocation of $318 million plus
an additional $75 million used last year for down payment
assistance programs. This year, legislators will
transfer approximately $163 million from the trust fund into
general revenue (GR) leaving a balance in the trust fund of
$100 million. In the past two years, approximately $357
million from the trust fund has been transferred into
GR.
Steve
Preston Nominated to Serve as New Secretary of HUD -
This week, President Bush announced his
intention to nominate Steve Preston to serve as the next
Secretary for the Department of Housing and Urban Development
(HUD). Mr.
Preston previously served two years as administrator of the
Small Business Administration (SBA) and has an
outstanding track record in the private sector, including a
deep financial and capital markets background. He understands
the important role that the housing market plays in the
broader economy and looks forward to restoring stability and
confidence in the housing market, and to promote sustainable
job ownership, free from discrimination in our country.
During
his tenure at the SBA, Mr. Preston managed loan guarantee
programs that are similar in structure to those run by the
Federal Housing Administration, and he's made these programs
run very effectively. When Steve took the reins at the SBA, he
streamlined the agency's efforts to disburse loans to small
businesses and homeowners devastated by Hurricane Katrina. He
matched every loan applicant with a case manager to provide
the compassion and expertise that applicants needed to
navigate the loan process. In addition, the SBA worked with
inner city communities to help small business owners bring
lasting change to places that need it the most. If confirmed, Preston
will lead HUD in its mission to support homeownership and
community development and increase access to affordable
housing free from discrimination.
FAHSA Housing Alert
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| Legislative News |
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House Continues to
Push for Tax Reform -- As stated earlier
in this publication, the House is moving forward with a series
of constitutional amendments and bills related to tax reform.
Despite promises that Amendment 1 was just the first step in
property tax reform; the Senate has made clear that it will
not be doing any further property tax cutting. The following
is a summary provided by Florida TaxWatch of major House
initiatives on the subject:
- 1.35% Property
Tax Cap (HJR 949, SJR 2190) - Speaker Marco
Rubio supports a "1.35%" plan, which is a current citizen
initiative to limit total property taxes on all property to
1.35% (13.5 mills) of taxable value. It is far short of
the needed signatures, so the House has offered the
proposal. Florida TaxWatch concludes this is really just a
large tax cut that does not really reform the system.
HJR 949 is in messages to the Senate.
- State and Local
Government Revenue Limitation (HJR 7125).
Another Speaker
Rubio initiative, this state and local government "tax cap"
would limit the annual increase in state and local revenue
according to a preset formula - growth in population plus
inflation plus 1 percent. This is similar to a
proposal that was defeated recently by the Taxation and
Budget Reform Commission. Florida TaxWatch recommends a
simpler approach - requiring a two-thirds vote of the
legislature or local governments to create or increase any
tax or fee. HJR is in messages to the
Senate.
- Minimum
Homestead Exemption (HJR 421). This proposed
amendment would create a new homestead exemption equal to
40% of the homesteads just value between $75,000 and
$500,000. Homeowners would get the new exemption or
their Save Our Homes savings, whichever is greater.
The idea of a minimum exemption is a good way to reduce
inequities among homesteaders. However, it can only be
justified in a system where all property is capped and all
property gets the minimum exemption. This approach has
been recommended by Florida TaxWatch as the way to make the
property tax system fair for all. But only giving it
to homesteaders would further shift tax burden to those who
have already paid the most. HJR is in the Committee on State
Affairs.
- Assessment Cap
for Commercial and Residential Rental Property (HJR
441). This would
create a cap on the growth of property assessment of 5% or
the average growth in revenues derived from the property
over the last 3 years. The property tax swap already
passed by the TBRC includes a 5% cap for non-homestead
properties. HJR 441 was voted out of the House
Government Efficiency & Accountability Council on
4/22.
- Property Tax
Challenges (HJR 7005, HB 1283). The
Proposed constitutional amendment HJR 7005would remove the
"presumption of correctness" from the property appraiser in
property tax assessment disputes. A similar proposal
was defeated by the TBRC recently. HB 1283 is less
drastic an approach supported by Florida TaxWatch to reduce
the burden of proof on the taxpayer to a "preponderance of
the evidence". The TBRC has already passed a statutory
recommendation similar to HB 1283. Both billshave
passed all their committees of reference and are ready for
the floor. However, the outlook for this legislation in the
Senate is not as promising. HJR 7005 and HB 1283 are in
messages to the Senate.
There are no
Senate companions for any of these proposals.
Watch Your E-mail
for Weekly Legislative Updates -- Each week during
session, FAHSA will publish an update on the week's
legislative events.
Please watch your e-mail on Fridays for the 2008 Legislative Session
Weekly Update.
The Updates are also posted to the FAHSA Legislative
Issues page of the Web site.
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| Nursing
Home News |
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3rd Annual Joan
Anne McHugh Award for Leadership in Long-term Care
Nursing --
The Institute for the Future of Aging Services (IFAS) is now
accepting nominations for this year's Joan Anne McHugh
Award. This is an opportunity for FAHSA members to honor
nurses in their organization who provide excellent clinical
care to their residents, while demonstrating leadership and a
commitment to the field of long-term care nursing. The
recipient will receive a cash award to further their
professional and leadership development. The winner and
nominees will be recognized at AAHSA's 2008 Annual
Meeting. All entries must be postmarked July 11,
2008. For more information, download the Award
Information and Nomination Form. Questions? Contact Alisha
Sanders at 202-508-1211 or email at asanders@aahsa.org.
Talking Points on
Sex Offenders and Residents or Clients in Aging
Services - If necessary,
please use the following talking points, written by AAHSA's
media relations and member communications team in light of
recent publicity.
·
More than half of
all Americans will need long-term care at some point in their
lives, making it inevitable that persons with criminal
convictions will require care or services in an independent
living, adult day services center, assisted living facility
nursing home or another aging-services setting.
·
If Aging-services
providers are to have access to relevant criminal background
information in advance of admission, states must take
responsibility for tracking and notifying providers of an
individual's criminal history. Once the person is admitted,
however, we understand that the facility incurs certain
obligations to provide care and/or responsibility for
discharging the individual to an appropriate setting.
·
Our
association/organization places paramount importance on
resident safety and assurance that we offer a secure
environment for our residents and clients, their families and
employees. Ultimately, it is government that must decide the
best way to handle this sensitive issue.
·
Over the past
decade there has been even greater emphasis on patient
privacy. The Health Insurance Portability & Accountability
Act (HIPAA) spells out specific requirements for all
facilities to protect certain personal health care
information. State or local regulations and decisions must be
viewed in light of federal rules regarding patient privacy of
medical records, non-discrimination laws and other issues,
along with practical considerations inherent in long-term care
settings, such as residents' clinical and mental capacity.
·
Consumers
considering a nursing home or assisted living facility for
themselves or a family member should learn what their state's
laws are around background checks and inquire about a nursing
home's compliance.
Medicare
Claims Review Program: New Educational Product Available --
CMS is pleased to
announce that a new educational resource discussing the
Medicare Claims Review Program is now available on the CMS Web
site. This Booklet provides an overview of
the several initiatives implemented
by CMS to prevent improper payments before a claim is
processed and identify and recoup improper payments after a
claim has been processed. To access this new
product, click here. Printed copies will be
available at a later date.
FAHSA Nursing Home
Alert Page
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| Preferred Business Associates
News |
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 FAHSA's
Preferred Business Associates Program (PBAs) -- A
list of PBAs can be found by on the FAHSA Web site www.fahsa.org and
selecting Preferred Business Associates from the left side
menu bar or clicking on the FAHSA Preferred Business
Associates Page hyperlink. FAHSA members can also use the
on-line directory to search for PBAs by specialty.
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| Job-Mart |
| FAHSA is pleased to provide an opportunity for
you to advertise your "position wanted" or "position
available" through the FAHSA Link newsletter and on our
Web Page.
FAHSA members may use the Job Mart services at no charge. A
nominal fee of $25 will be charged to nonmembers.
Your Job Mart advertisement will be displayed on our Web
site for approximately three months. The FAHSA Link is
published weekly and distributed to our membership which is
comprised of nursing homes, CCRCs, HUD housing, assisted
living facilities, independent living facilities and
companies/firms.
To reserve advertisement space in our Job Mart program,
please complete the application and fax it
to FAHSA at (850) 671-3790 or E-mail Erin Steele at esteele@fahsa.org
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Copyright 2008 -- Publication of the
Florida Association of Homes and Services for the Aging
(FAHSA).
- FAHSA Chair: Alma Ballard
- FAHSA President/CEO: Janegale Boyd
- Managing Editor: Gail Matillo
Copyright
Information: Copies of the articles and other information in
this publication may be noncommercially reproduced for the
purpose of educational or scientific advancement. Otherwise,
no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in
any form or by any means, mechanical or electronic, including
photocopying, microfilm and recording, or by any information
storage and retrieval system, without the written permission
of the editor.
Correspondence: Should be addressed to:
Editor, 1812 Riggins Road, Tallahassee, FL 32308. For
telephone inquiries, call (850) 671-3700. Or E-mail FAHSA at
info@fahsa.org. © 2008 FAHSA. All rights reserved.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this
correspondence is not intended as a substitute for legal
advice. Please discuss any information gathered from this or
any other FAHSA publications with your legal counsel in the
context of your particular situation before implementing any
new policies or procedures.
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