HOUSE BILL No. 5147

 

October 8, 2003, Introduced by Reps. Reeves, Sak, Spade, Brandenburg, Vagnozzi, Voorhees, Wojno, Hunter, Kooiman, O'Neil, Murphy, Dennis, Stallworth, Byrum, Jamnick, Cheeks, Tobocman, Gillard, Sheltrown, Ehardt, Shaffer, Newell, Palsrok, Walker, Waters, Phillips, Williams, Gleason and Daniels and referred to the Committee on Health Policy.

        

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                 A bill to amend 1981 PA 180, entitled                                             

                                                                                

    "Older Michiganians act,"                                                   

                                                                                

    by amending section 2 (MCL 400.582), as amended by 1987 PA 35,              

                                                                                

    and by adding section 6d.                                                   

                                                                                

                THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:                      

                                                                                

1       Sec. 2.  As used in this act:                                               

                                                                                

2       (a) "Area agency on aging" means an agency designated by the                

                                                                                

3   commission under section 4(i).                                              

                                                                                

4       (b) "Chief elected official administrative officer" means any               

                                                                                

5   of the following:                                                           

                                                                                

6                                                                                (i) The president of a village.                                                     

                                                                                

7       (ii) The mayor of a city.                                                    

                                                                                

8       (iii) The supervisor of a township.                                          

                                                                                

9       (iv) The elected county executive or appointed county manager                

                                                                                

10  of a county; or if the county has not adopted an optional unified           

                                                                                


                                                                                

1   form of county government, the chairperson of the county board of           

                                                                                

2   commissioners of the county.                                                

                                                                                

3       (c) "Commission" means the commission on services to the                    

                                                                                

4   aging established under section 3.                                          

                                                                                

5       (d) "Director" means the director of the office of services                 

                                                                                

6   to the aging.                                                               

                                                                                

7       (e) "Federal poverty guidelines" means the poverty guidelines               

                                                                                

8   published annually in the federal register by the United States             

                                                                                

9   department of health and human services under its authority to              

                                                                                

10  revise the poverty line under section 673(2) of subtitle B of               

                                                                                

11  title VI of the omnibus budget reconciliation act of 1981, Public           

                                                                                

12  Law 97-35, 42 U.S.C. 9902.                                                  

                                                                                

13      (f) "Household income" means all income received by all                     

                                                                                

14  persons of a household in a tax year while members of a                     

                                                                                

15  household.                                                                  

                                                                                

16      (g)  (e)  "Long-term care facility" means 1 or more of the                  

                                                                                

17  following:                                                                  

                                                                                

18                                                                               (i) A home for the aged as defined in section 20106(3) of the                       

                                                                                

19  public health code,  Act No. 368 of the Public Acts of 1978,                

                                                                                

20  being section 333.20106 of the Michigan Compiled Laws  1978 PA              

                                                                                

21  368, MCL 333.20106.                                                         

                                                                                

22      (ii) An adult foster care facility as defined in section 3(4)                

                                                                                

23  of the adult foster care facility licensing act,  Act No. 218 of            

                                                                                

24  the Public Acts of 1979, being section 400.703 of the Michigan              

                                                                                

25  Compiled Laws  1979 PA 218, MCL 400.703.                                    

                                                                                

26      (iii) A nursing home as defined in section 20109(1) of  Act                  

                                                                                

27  No. 368 of the Public Acts of 1978, being section 333.20109 of              


                                                                                

1   the Michigan Compiled Laws  the public health code, 1978 PA 368,            

                                                                                

2   MCL 333.20109.                                                              

                                                                                

3       (iv) A county medical care facility as defined in                            

                                                                                

4   section 20104(4) of  Act No. 368 of the Public Acts of 1978,                

                                                                                

5   being section 333.20104 of the Michigan Compiled Laws  the public           

                                                                                

6   health code, 1978 PA 368, MCL 333.20104.                                    

                                                                                

7       (v) A hospital long-term care unit as defined in                            

                                                                                

8   section 20106(6) of  Act No. 368 of the Public Acts of 1978  the            

                                                                                

9   public health code, 1978 PA 368, MCL 333.20106.                             

                                                                                

10      (h)  (f)  "Office" means the office of services to the aging                

                                                                                

11  created by section 5.                                                       

                                                                                

12      (i)  (g)  "Older person" means a state resident who is 60                   

                                                                                

13  years of age or older, and the spouse of the older person,                  

                                                                                

14  regardless of age.                                                          

                                                                                

15      Sec. 6d.  (1) The senior Rx program is established in the                   

                                                                                

16  office of services to the aging to help older persons access and            

                                                                                

17  apply for manufacturers' discount cards and pharmaceutical                  

                                                                                

18  assistance programs.                                                        

                                                                                

19      (2) To be eligible for the senior Rx program established in                 

                                                                                

20  subsection (1), an individual must meet all of the following                

                                                                                

21  criteria:                                                                   

                                                                                

22      (a) Meet the definition of "older person" as defined in                     

                                                                                

23  section 2.                                                                  

                                                                                

24      (b) Have a household income below 300% of the federal poverty               

                                                                                

25  guidelines.                                                                 

                                                                                

26      (c) Have not voluntarily canceled a state or federal                        

                                                                                

27  prescription drug program or private prescription reimbursement             


                                                                                

1   plan within 6 months before applying for enrollment in the senior           

                                                                                

2   Rx program.                                                                 

                                                                                

3       (3) Subject to an annual appropriation for the senior Rx                    

                                                                                

4   program and after determining eligibility, the office shall                 

                                                                                

5   assist eligible older persons by assisting them in accessing                

                                                                                

6   manufacturers' pharmaceutical assistance programs and by                    

                                                                                

7   assisting them in applying for manufacturers' pharmaceutical                

                                                                                

8   assistance programs.                                                        

                                                                                

9       (4) The office may seek and receive voluntary funds from any                

                                                                                

10  source including federal funds and gifts that are to be expended            

                                                                                

11  for the purposes of this program.  The office may accept grants             

                                                                                

12  available to build community public sector and private sector               

                                                                                

13  partnerships.  The office shall include within the development of           

                                                                                

14  the program the assistance of foundations, community groups, area           

                                                                                

15  agencies on aging, corporations, hospitals, physicians, or any              

                                                                                

16  other entity that can advance the intent of the program.                    

                                                                                

17      (5) The office shall prepare and submit a quarterly report on               

                                                                                

18  the program to the governor, the legislature, the chairpersons of           

                                                                                

19  the committees on appropriations, and the chairpersons of the               

                                                                                

20  committees that have jurisdiction over issues dealing with older            

                                                                                

21  persons.