IAAAA Policy Position
on
Individual Responsibility
Position
IAAAA encourages the Family Social Services Administration Division of Aging to hire an external consultant to help devise a cost-sharing plan per the changes in the Older Americans Act. This will help to sustain services and programs that affect seniors and individuals living with disabilities. It is our belief that anyone whose income falls below 300% of the Supplemental Security Income level should receive services at no cost.
IAAAA supports further development of wellness programs that promote personal responsibility and preventative health care, and that create incentives for individuals to engage in healthy behaviors.
IAAAA supports educating the public on the issue of cost sharing to explain how to enable program sustainability.
Background
Amendments to the Older Americans Act (OAA) allowed States to implement cost sharing for certain OAA services. Many state providers allow for "cost sharing" on certain services such as supportive programs in the home, thus making these services available to more individuals. Services can be provided on a cost-sharing basis which is tied to income.
Historically, IAAAA has supported the following:
- Indiana should develop a cost-share program for fees based on a sliding-scale of income as required by the OAA.
- Indiana should develop policies for accounting for cost-share payments, and Indiana should develop the required written materials that explain cost sharing to recipients.
The current Medicaid system also needs to be reviewed to explore the possibility of allowing individuals and families to share in the cost of care rather than the current all-or-nothing program approach.
Issues
Individual responsibility regarding one’s own health, wealth, education and lifestyle should be supported. Nonetheless, IAAAA continues to support those persons who are less fortunate and rely on the services mandated through the Older Americans Act.
Individual responsibility regarding payment of services (cost sharing-sliding scale) in effect makes room to help others.
There is increasing need to maintain services to seniors and people with disabilities while ensuring sustainable growth within existing revenues.
Current Action Needed
Advocate for more support and funding of health and wellness programs and educational opportunities for seniors in our communities.
Discuss with clients their ability to share out-of-pocket expense based on income for the programs and services offered through Indiana Area Agencies on Aging.
Help in the design and implementation of an income-based sliding scale cost sharing program to help pay for services and open more program space to help all individuals in need.
Sources
Last Updated May 2010
| 
