The Link E-Newsletter - December 2015

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December 2015

Donna Harvey

A Note from the Director:

Well, we’ve made it through another year and 2016 is right around the corner. While the past 12 months have brought about many changes for the Department on Aging and Iowa’s aging network, I am pleased to say that most have had a positive impact on older Iowans, adults with disabilities, veterans and their caregivers.


  • In January, Governor Terry Branstad introduced the IowaNext Plan during his Condition of the State Address as another piece of the effort to make Iowa the premier state in which to live and retire.

  • Also in January, older adults and their advocates across the country had reason to celebrate when the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee was able to successfully propose a bipartisan bill to reauthorize the Older Americans Act (OAA) of 1965.

  • In February, Gov. Branstad announced his Medicaid Modernization initiative – an effort to move most of Iowa’s Medicaid members to a managed health care system in order to reduce costs and improve health outcomes.

  • In March, two bills affecting older Iowans, adults with disabilities and veterans were signed into law. HF 159 amended state law so a combined petition for a conservatorship and a guardianship can be treated as one proceeding with one docket number, helping to streamline court proceedings in these cases and make the petition process more accessible to Iowans. HF 166 amended the eligibility criteria for the Disabled Veteran Homestead Tax Credit to enable additional categories of veterans with disabilities to qualify for the credit.

  • In July, Gov. Branstad signed SF 505 into law, authorizing funding for aging and long-term care advocacy programs in the amount of $12.7 million. This included a $220,000 appropriation to the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman to develop and launch a Managed Care Ombudsman Program to advocate on behalf of Iowa’s 57,000 managed care members who receive care in an institutional setting or are enrolled in one of seven home and community-based services waiver programs.

  • From September through early November, the Department joined the Governor’s Office and the Area Agencies on Aging to honor Iowa’s centenarians at a series of events held across the state. More than 400 Iowans who are or will be 100 years or more by Dec. 31 received certificates and were invited to attend local celebrations.


Now, as we wrap up December and begin looking ahead to the new legislative session, a Presidential caucus, the 2016 Governor's Conference on Aging and Disabilities and a major shift in the way many older Iowans and adults with disabilities receive health care, the only thing we can be certain of is that 2016 will bring about just as much change as this year did. However, I am confident that, with your continued hard work and dedication, 2016 may be the best year for older Iowans yet!


Happy Holidays!

 

Donna K. Harvey

Director, Iowa Department on Aging


Older Worker

A return to work does not have to mean a cut in Social Security benefits

One of the most prevalent myths surrounding older adults and adults with disabilities returning to the workplace is that getting a job will mean losing Social Security Disability (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits.

 

However, according to the Social Security Administration, less than one-half of one percent of SSDI or SSI beneficiaries exit the programs due to a return to work. In addition, the government has implemented incentives such as the Ticket to Work Program to offer beneficiaries who are interested in returning to the workplace the ability to try a job for a period of time before considering any adjustments to their benefit status.

 

Understanding how to access and use these work incentives is important for those beneficiaries who wish to start working. Benefits counselors are available to provide information about these incentives and educate beneficiaries about the value of returning to work.  

 

More information about benefits counseling is available from the following resources:


Iowa Capitol building

Looking ahead to the 2016 Legislative Session

The 86th Iowa General Assembly will convene on Jan. 11, 2016, to kick off the new legislative session. The current session timeline has the first funnel deadline scheduled for Feb. 19 and the second for March 11, with April 19 designated as the 100th calendar day of the session.

 

If it has been a while since you last cracked a civics education textbook or you are curious about how to contact your legislators, you will be delighted to discover the Iowa Legislature website. The site is a valuable resource for anyone who wants to know anything about Iowa government.

 

In addition to providing contact information for every state legislator, the website also includes links to:

  • Session calendars;
  • Current legislation and historical legislation back to 1995;
  • Lists of legislative committees and meeting schedules;
  • Iowa Law and Administrative Rules;
  • Contact information for lobbyists, including declarations and reports;
  • Senate and House journals and fiscal reports;
  • Educational fact sheets about the legislative process; and
  • Fun facts about the State of Iowa and the State Capitol.

The site also offers live audio and video streaming of Senate and House proceedings whenever the chambers are in session, as well as a video archive of House and Senate proceedings sorted by date or by bill.


Upcoming Events/Educational Opportunities


GOVERNOR'S CONFERENCE ON AGING AND DISABILITIES
May 23-26, 2016 (Iowa Events Center, Des Moines)

 

Registration is now open for the 2016 Governor's Conference on Aging and Disabilities, hosted by the Iowa Department on Aging and the Developmental Disabilities Council and powered by NASUAD. Through a variety of workshops, networking events, exhibits and full-day pre-conference intensives, the 2016 Governor's Conference on Aging and Disabilities will shine a regional and national spotlight on the actions that the aging and disability community is taking to meet current challenges and embrace new opportunities.

 

If you are looking to connect with professionals, policymakers and subject-matter experts to learn more about the creative work happening within the aging and disability networks, register today to reserve your spot!


 

The mission of the Iowa Department on Aging is to develop a comprehensive, coordinated and

cost-effective system of long-term living and community support services that helps older Iowans maintain

health and independence in their homes and communities.