Current Status Bill Number:801 Type of Legislation:Joint Resolution JR Introducing Body:Senate Introduced Date:19950501 Primary Sponsor:Peeler All Sponsors:Peeler, Leatherman, Martin, J. Verne Smith and McGill Drafted Document Number:br1\18456ac.95 Companion Bill Number:4178 Residing Body:Senate Current Committee:Medical Affairs Committee 13 SMA Subject:Long-term care services for the elderly
Body Date Action Description Com Leg Involved
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Senate 19950501 Introduced, read first time, 13 SMA
referred to Committee
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DIRECTING THE GOVERNOR TO APPOINT A TASK FORCE TO DEVELOP A PLAN TO RESTRUCTURE AND CONSOLIDATE STATE LEVEL PROGRAMS WHICH PLAN, FUND, REGULATE, AND DELIVER LONG-TERM CARE SERVICES FOR THE ELDERLY; AND TO DEVELOP A PLAN WHICH ADDRESSES LOCAL LEVEL COORDINATION OF THESE SERVICES.
Whereas, in March 1993, the Legislative Audit Council recommended that the Joint Legislative Health Care Planning and Oversight Committee study ways of better integrating long-term care services in the State; and
Whereas, the Long Term Care Reform Subcommittee of the Joint Legislative Health Care Planning and Oversight Committee sponsored hearings and focus groups to solicit information from providers and consumers of long-term care services, family caregivers, and state agencies which plan, fund, regulate, and deliver long-term care services, and found that consumers and their families:
(1) do not know where to go for information or services because South Carolina's system for planning, funding, regulating, and delivering long-term care services is badly fragmented;
(2) need social as well as health services;
(3) would like to choose among a variety of home and community services to support independent living and family caregivers as well as innovative and traditional residential and institutional services;
(4) need confidence in their long-term care provider, so creative methods must be developed to assure high quality home and community services without increasing costs or otherwise restricting access; and
Whereas, after reviewing efforts in other states to reform their long-term care systems, the subcommittee focused on the concept of consolidating state level responsibilities and resources while emphasizing a single entity for coordinating services at the local level; and
Whereas, the subcommittee invited all interested persons and organizations to comment on this concept and found:
(1) support for better coordination and restructuring of planning, funding, regulation, and delivery of long-term care services including the development of a comprehensive system with a single point of entry;
(2) a need for state leadership of a comprehensive system with flexibility to adapt to local needs and resources;
(3) merging responsibilities and resources makes sense only if it produces a more cost effective long-term care system, one with more money for services and less money for bureaucracy;
(4) efforts to design and implement a comprehensive system should include as full participants: providers and consumers of long-term care services, family caregivers, and the appropriate state agencies;
(5) advocates for persons with physical or developmental disabilities are concerned about including these groups in a long-term care system also intended to serve aging persons; and
Whereas, based on the work of the subcommittee, the General Assembly finds that it is in the best interest of consumers of long-term care services, their families, and their formal and informal caregivers to consolidate state level responsibilities and resources for long-term care for the elderly while emphasizing a single entity for coordinating services at the local level. Now, therefore,
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. (A) The Governor shall appoint a task force composed of representatives of the appropriate state agencies, local health and social service agencies, area agencies on aging, and appropriate consumer and advocacy groups and provider representatives for the purposes specified in this resolution. The Chairmen of the Joint Legislative Health Planning and Oversight Committee and the Committee to Study Services, Program, and Facilities for Aging each shall appoint two members of their respective committees to serve on the task force ex officio. Staff support for the task force must be provided by the Joint Legislative Health Planning and Oversight Committee, with the assistance of the state agencies and legislative committees represented on the task force.
(B) The task force must develop a plan to restructure and consolidate state level programs which plan, fund, regulate, and deliver long-term care services for the elderly. The plan must:
(1) examine all aging and long-term care planning, financing, regulatory, and service programs administered by the Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Social Services, Department of Mental Health, Department of Health and Environmental Control, and the Office of the Governor, Division on Aging;
(2) optimize the benefits of developing a common system to serve all elderly persons in need of long-term care while accommodating the different needs which they might have; and
(3) reduce spending for administration and bureaucracy and recommend services to which the savings should be reallocated.
(C) After submission of the plan developed pursuant to subsection (B), the task force must develop a plan which addresses coordination of long-term care services for the elderly at the local level. The plan must:
(1) examine the major aging and long-term care planning, financing, regulatory, information and referral, and service programs for the elderly administered by local public and private agencies including for profit providers;
(2) emphasize a single entity for coordinating services for the elderly including a single point of entry and common application for most, if not all, long-term care services;
(3) establish clearly those functions which are appropriately handled at the state level and those which are best left to local officials.
(D) The task force must be appointed by July 1, 1995. It must submit the plan required in subsection (B) to the Governor and General Assembly by January 1, 1996. It must submit the plan required in subsection (C) to the Governor and General Assembly by January 1, 1997, and upon submission of this plan, the task force is abolished.
SECTION 2. This joint resolution takes effect upon approval by the Governor.