Older Michiganians Day (OMD) 2021 has become Senior Action Week! (May 10-14, 2021) While the main session will be a LiveStream from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 12, 2021, each day will focus on one of the five planks in the 2021 OMD Advocacy Platform.

Specific information and links to OMD 2021 events during the week of May 10th can be found on our state association's website: www.4ami.org/events. Please email [email protected] with any questions.

An informational Save The Date PDF for OMD 2021 can be found here.

Last Wednesday the State House Appropriations Subcommittee on the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services budget reported its recommendations to the full State House Appropriations Committee. Analysis of House Bill 4399 indicates the subcommittee has concurred with the governor's proposal to add currently unspecified federal funds to the Aging & Adult Services Agency's (AASA) community services budget. The Community Services line item would receive an additional $1 million in federal funds while the nutrition services line would receive $3.5 million more federal dollars. The subcommittee added 1,000 new slots for the MI Choice Waiver program in a step forward for community-based long-term services and supports.

The State Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Community Health & Human Services reported out it's budget proposal last Thursday. Senate Bill 79 analysis indicates inclusion of the 1,000 statewide slots for MI Choice Waiver, matching the State House's subcommittee action.

A $2.35 per hour wage increase for Direct Care Workers (DCW) was included in the FY 2022 MDHHS budget reported by the State Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Community Health & Human Services to the full appropriations subcommittee. The State House Appropriations Subcommittee on Health & Human Services only included a $100 placeholder for a DCW wage increase.

The Senior Alliance will continue to advocate for a DCW wage increase in the FY 2022 state budget to support workers who are providing critical services to older adults and adults living with a disability in the community.

Senate Bill 213 (S-1) would delete a reference in the Older Michiganians Act to the specific times the Michigan Long-Term Care Ombudsman or the regional Long-Term Care Ombudsman are permitted access to any long-term care facility. The bill also states that if restrictions are placed on the ability to access a long-term care facility for a period longer than seven days, that restriction would not apply to a representative of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program. If a restriction or visitation prohibited a representative of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program from entering a long-term care facility resident access must be granted for a video meeting.

This legislation was introduced by State Senator Kim LaSata (R-St. Joseph) and was unanimously reported out the State Senate Committee on Health Policy & Human Services on April 20, 2021 and by a 35-0 vote of the full State Senate on April 27, 2021. SB 213 now moves over to the State House for consideration.

Our new podcast series, "Inside The Senior Alliance," provides to-the-point information about our programs and services. Just search for "The Senior Alliance" to find it on Spotify, Amazon, Apple, Stitcher, Google and other podcast platforms. Each episode is less than 14 minutes long.

Our first episode answers the question, "What is The Senior Alliance?" Other installments provide overviews of the MI Choice Waiver program, the Medicare Medicaid Assistance Program (MMAP), our Supports Coordination function, our Information & Assistance service and Housing Coordination.

Advocacy Questions: Please contact Jason Maciejewski, Chief Advocacy & Planning Officer, with any advocacy or public policy questions via e-mail at [email protected].

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The Senior Alliance, Area Agency on Aging 1C

5454 Venoy Road, Wayne, MI 48184

800-815-1112