The good news is that the 1997 General Assembly increased funding for the CHOICE home health care program by nearly $20 million for the two budget years that began on July 1, 1997. That increase is anticipated to keep nearly 2,500 Hoosiers who need home health care services in their homes and out of nursing homes.

The bad news is that until the out-of-control budget of Indiana's fiscally out-of-control nursing home industry is addressed, the state will continue the unwitting practice of forcing thousands of Hoosiers into nursing homes. In the current fiscal year, the nursing home industry's Medical budget, which is entirely paid for by taxpayers, is projected to exceed $800 million.

Worse yet, the nursing home industry is aggressively lobbying the General Assembly for a reimbursement system that will allow it to rise its Medicaid income to well over $900 million per year.

Fortunately, Indiana's system of long-term care doesn't have to be the way it is today. Changes can be made that would immediately bring significant benefits to long-term care consumers, their distressed families and all Hoosier taxpayers.

Together with the other 65 consumer and professional organizations that compose the Indiana Home Care Task Force, CAC is working to achieve the following goals.

1. Educating the members of the General Assembly on the health care, societal, family and taxpayer benefits of reordering Indiana's long-term care spending priorities;
2. Expanding the use of Medicaid waivers, which are exceptions allowed by the U.S. Congress to its own prohibition against the use of Medicaid dollars for home care and related services;
3. Establishing new Medicaid waivers to pay for services that include assisted living, adult foster care, and personal attendant care services for persons with disabilities;
4. Exploring mechanisms for pooling all Medicaid dollars into a unified long-term care budget that allows consumers to pick the types of care they want and need, while providing the most appropriate use of taxpayer dollars;
5. Making the wishes of consumers and taxpayers regarding long-term care services the first priority of the General Assembly and the Governor.

CAC Members can support the above goals by doing any of the following:

Asking legislators to endorse the steps listed above.

Supporting the assisted living legislation authored in the 1998 General Assembly by Sen. Greg Server (R-Evansville). The Server bill will establish minimum certification and information disclosure standards that assisted living facilities must follow in order to protect consumers who are shopping for assisted living services.

Asking Governor O'Bannon to act now to expand the use of Medicaid waivers and to establish new Medicaid waivers as described above.

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