Join Us for the LeadingAge Kansas Day at the Legislature on February 8th in Topeka
Come join us and make your voice heard on long term care funding and workforce issues! Register Today
Legislative Sessions Starts to Liven Up
After a slow start, legislative committees are beginning to schedule more hearings as bills start getting through the drafting and introduction process. LeadingAge Kansas and KHCA gave an impactful joint presentation to the House Health and Human Services Committee, and will carry the same message over to the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee and KanCare Oversight Committee next week. As more senior care related bills are introduced and scheduled for hearing we’ll keep you informed, and as always keep an eye out for action alerts!
Questions, comments or concerns? Please contact me! Rachel@leadingagekansas.org
State of Senior Care Presentation to House Health Committee
This week LeadingAge Kansas and the Kansas Health Care Association provided a joint presentation to the House Health and Human Services Committee on the current status of long term care in Kansas. KHCA reviewed facility closure data and risk analyses for future closures in Kansas. LeadingAge Kansas presented data on labor cost increases, worker shortages, resident admissions, and the desperate need for staffing agency reform. Both associations stressed the importance of fully funded Medicaid rates in senior care.
You can view the legislative hearing on YouTube
Testimony and Documents are found here.
The associations will be presenting similar information to the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee and KanCare Oversight Committee next week.
Bills Introduced
SB 6 Restricting the authority of the secretary of health and environment and local health officers to prevent the introduction and spread of infectious or contagious diseases
SB 62 Enacting the protect vulnerable adults from financial exploitation act
SB 112 Amending the scope of practice for registered nurse anesthetists to allow independent practice
HB 2023 Creating the crime of interference with the conduct of a hospital
HB 2049 Changing the length of the nurse aide course required for unlicensed employees in adult care homes to 75 hours
HB 2161 Enacting the patient right to visitation act to require patient care facilities to adopt visitation rules to allow certain relatives and other persons, including clergy, to visit terminally ill patients and other patients making major medical decisions
Coming Up Next Week
January 31: The State of Senior Care presentation in Senate Public Health and Welfare; Presentation from the Alzheimers Association and State Nurses Association in House Health and Human Services
February 3: Robert G. (Bob) Bethell KanCare Oversight Committee
