SENIOR ASSEMBLY FEDERAL PROPOSAL NO. 3

INTRODUCED BY SENIOR ASSEMBLY MEMBER WEINTRAUB

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AFP 3: MEDICARE: HEARING, VISUAL, AND DENTAL COVERAGE.

EXISTING LAW ESTABLISHES MEDICARE WHICH IS A PUBLIC HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM FOR PERSONS 65 YEARS OF AGE AND OLDER AND SPECIFIED PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES WHO ARE UNDER 65 YEARS OF AGE. UNDER EXISTING LAW, THE CENTERS FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID SERVICES ADMINISTER THE MEDICARE PROGRAM. UNDER EXISTING LAW, MEDICARE DOES NOT COVER ROUTINE DENTAL CARE, HEARING AIDS, AND VISION AIDS THAT INCLUDE EYEGLASSES AND CONTACT LENSES.

THIS MEASURE WOULD MEMORIALIZE THE CONGRESS AND THE PRESIDENT TO ENACT LEGISLATION, AND THE CENTERS FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID SERVICES TO ADOPT IMPLEMENTING POLICIES, THAT WOULD PROVIDE, AS PART OF THE FEDERAL MEDICARE PROGRAM, COVERAGE FOR HEARING AIDS, VISION AIDS, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, EYEGLASSES AND CONTACT LENSES, AND ROUTINE DENTAL CARE, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ORAL HYGIENE, CLEANINGS, FILLINGS, EXTRACTIONS, AND TEETH REPLACEMENT.

VOTE: MAJORITY.

AFP 3: RELATING TO MEDICARE

WHEREAS, IN 2011, THE FIRST WAVE OF THE 78 MILLION PEOPLE IN THE BABY BOOM GENERATION WILL REACH 65 YEARS OF AGE. THIS WILL JUMPSTART A TWO-DECADE PERIOD OF GROWTH IN THE UNITED STATES’ POPULATION OF PERSONS 65 YEARS OF AGE AND OLDER; AND

WHEREAS, THE RISK OF LOW VISION AND BLINDNESS INCREASES SIGNIFICANTLY WITH AGE, PARTICULARLY FOR PERSONS OVER 65 YEARS OF AGE; AND

WHEREAS, VISION LOSS CAN ADVERSELY AFFECT THE OVERALL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF OLDER ADULTS IN MANY WAYS; AND

WHEREAS, THE AMERICAN FOUNDATION FOR THE BLIND REPORTS THAT 13.6 PERCENT OF AMERICANS BETWEEN 65 AND 74 YEARS OF AGE SUFFER FROM VISION LOSS AND 6.5 MILLION HAVE A SEVERE VISUAL IMPAIRMENT. THE RATE OF VISION LOSS INCREASES TO 21.7 PERCENT FOR PERSONS WHO ARE 75 YEARS OF AGE AND OLDER; AND

WHEREAS, ONE-THIRD OF AMERICANS BETWEEN 65 AND 74 YEARS OF AGE HAVE HEARING PROBLEMS. ONE-HALF OF AMERICANS WHO ARE 85 YEARS OF AGE AND OLDER ARE SUFFERING FROM SIGNIFICANT HEARING LOSS AND NEED AN ASSISTED HEARING DEVICE; AND

WHEREAS, HEARING IMPAIRMENT, AFTER HEART DISEASE AND ARTHRITIS, AFFLICTS MORE AMERICANS THAN ANY OTHER CHRONIC DISEASE; AND

WHEREAS, THE 2007 LOS ANGELES COUNTY NEEDS ASSESSMENT SURVEY OF 16,000 SENIORS REVEALED THAT 18 PERCENT LACKED AFFORDABLE DENTAL CARE, 31 PERCENT HAD NOT HAD A DENTAL EXAM IN THE LAST THREE YEARS, AND 61 PERCENT HAD EITHER INADEQUATE DENTAL INSURANCE OR NO DENTAL INSURANCE; AND

WHEREAS, WHEN THE NEEDS OF OLDER ADULTS ARE ANALYZED NATIONALLY, THEY BEAR OUT THE ABOVE MENTIONED FACTS AND STATISTICS AS AMERICANS IN THIS AGE GROUP COPE WITH DIMINISHING RESOURCES AS A CONSEQUENCE OF RETIREMENT; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT

RESOLVED, BY THE SENIOR ASSEMBLY AND THE SENIOR SENATE, JOINTLY, THAT THE SENIOR LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AT ITS 2009 REGULAR SESSION, A MAJORITY OF THE MEMBERS VOTING THEREFOR, HEREBY PROPOSES THAT THE CONGRESS AND PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES ENACT APPROPRIATE LEGISLATION, AND THE CENTERS FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID SERVICES ADOPT IMPLEMENTING POLICIES, THAT WOULD PROVIDE, AS PART OF THE FEDERAL MEDICARE PROGRAM, COVERAGE FOR HEARING AIDS, VISION AIDS, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, EYEGLASSES AND CONTACT LENSES, AND ROUTINE DENTAL CARE, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ORAL HYGIENE, CLEANINGS, FILLINGS, EXTRACTIONS, AND TEETH REPLACEMENT; AND BE IT FURTHER

RESOLVED, THAT THE SENIOR LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA RESPECTFULLY MEMORIALIZES THE CONGRESS AND THE PRESIDENT TO ENACT APPROPRIATE LEGISLATION THAT WOULD ADDRESS THE CONCERNS SET FORTH IN THIS MEASURE; AND BE IT FURTHER

RESOLVED, THAT A COPY OF THIS MEASURE BE TRANSMITTED TO THE PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT, THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, THE CHAIRPERSONS OF THE HOUSE AND SENATE COMMITTEES ON AGING, AND TO EACH SENATOR AND REPRESENTATIVE FROM CALIFORNIA IN THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES.

RN 09 16504

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