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March 19, 2023
Our next meeting is Monday, March 20, 2023. Our meeting is from 9:30AM to 11:00AM, but may go to 11:30AM.
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There are bills to review & take positions on | |
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Jeanette Hensley and Rich Mauro will lead us in reviewing bills that have been added to our CCA Bill Tracker. We will also take positions on bills that were reviewed at last week's meeting and we will be looking for at least one member to step forward for each bill we are keeping on our list.
View our meeting agenda to see a list that prioritizes bills for discussion
at the Monday morning meeting - CLICK HERE
Our approach is to review the bills one week and then the following week our members vote on whether to monitor, support, strongly support, or oppose but as we enter the last half of the session, bills move more quickly; so we may consider and take a position on a bill at the same meeting. If we keep a bill in our Bill watch account, we need a member to step up as a point of contact.
We ask that those who have volunteered to track a specific bill
be prepared to report to the group on its status.
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For those that attended the March 7th ACC 3.0 Presentation - Colorado's Aging Population Presentation from Joint House Health and Human Services we would like you to share what you learned from the presentation. | |
News from CCA Capitol Gang | |
The past week we sent out emails to legislators, individuals testified on bills, other individuals were at the Capitol talking to legislators and advocating for older adults, and we researched bills. See details below: | |
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SB23-031 Improve Health-care Access For Older Coloradans - Strongly Support - CCA sent an email to all Senators and to all House Represenatives this past week expressing our organization's support and the importance of this bill. The Senate email had an open rate of 64% and the House had an open rate of 70%. Our CCA advocates for this outreach are Jodi Waterhouse, Rich Mauro, and Jeanette Hensley.
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SB23-058 Job Application Fairness Act - We sent an email to all CCA Members and our followers on SB23-058 on Tuesday, March 14th. We had a 36% open rate and 21 click-throughs. And on Tuesday SB23-058 passed Second Reading. Our CCA advocates for this outreach are Rich Mauro, Jeanette Hensley, and Andrea Kuwik - Bell Policy Center.
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- Julie Evans has shared an update on the 4 HOA Bills CCA is following - CLICK HERE
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- At last week's Monday meeting we heard from Doug Farmer, President and CEO of Colorado Health Care Association (CHCA) and Colin Laughlin, MPA-Deputy Office Director, Office of Community Living on HB23-1228 Nursing Facility Reimbursement Rate Setting. On February 13, 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) placed on display at the Federal Register a proposed rule that would implement portions of section 6101 of the Affordable Care Act, which require the disclosure of certain ownership, managerial, and other information regarding Medicare skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) and Medicaid nursing facilities - READ MORE
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Questions about CCA Advocacy Committee
Jeanette Hensley - email - 303-249-5598
Co-Chair of CCA Advocacy Committee
Rich Mauro - email - Direct: 303-480-6778
Co-Chair of CCA Advocacy Committee and Senior Policy and Legislative Analyst Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG)
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Zoom Link for Monday's Meeting | |
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Topic: CCA: Advocacy Committee Meeting
9:30AM - 11:00AM/11:30AM Mountain Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8814815119?pwd=cXJGUFRVQ09kV1RzZ25QVG90RHBOQT09
Meeting ID: 881 481 5119
NEW Passcode: CCA2023#
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Meeting ID: 881 481 5119
Passcode: 01201897
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kbZvU5bskJ
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News & Highlights from CCA | |
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Colorado Commission on Aging Meetings
The Public is welcome to attend
The Colorado Commission on Aging (CCOA) was established under the authority of the Older Coloradans Act Section 26-11-101, C.R.S. to serve as the primary advisory body on all matters affecting older persons. The CCOA is a Governor-appointed, citizen-led, multidisciplinary Commission, comprised of representatives from both the public and private sectors to coordinate and contribute to guiding state programs, services, projects, policies, procedures, and resources in the area of aging and coordinate and guide the implementation of the strategic action plan on aging (Master Plan on Aging). The CCA members interested in aging issues in Colorado are encouraged to attend the committee meetings. All meetings are virtual until further notice. The meetings are:
- CCOA committee meets monthly every 3rd Thursday of the month
- CCOA Executive Subcommittee meets first Tuesday of the month
- CCOA Age-Friendly Subcommittee meets 4th Friday of the month
- CCOA Public Policy Subcommittee 2nd Monday of the month
Find times and Zoom link for the meetings on the CCOA web page -
https://cdhs.colorado.gov/our-services/older-adult-services/state-unit-on-aging/colorado-commission-on-aging
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Are you a caregiver for a person with dementia who is receiving home care?
If you are a caregiver living approximately 2 or more hours away from your care recipient, you may be eligible to participate in a new research study evaluating the administration of a non-drug intervention designed to help long-distance caregivers of persons with dementia. To learn more, contact the Project Director, Evan Chunga, at
Richard.Chunga001@umb.edu or contact the Principal Investigator, Dr.
Verena Cimarolli at vcimarolli@leadingage.org or 202-508-9411.
View Flyer - CLICK HERE
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Have you experienced age discrimination when applying for a job?
If you have, and are open to sharing your experiences, the Older Worker Policy Collaborative would love to hear from you! By sharing your story, you'll be helping to support policy change to make Colorado's workplaces fairer for people of all ages. If you're interested in either learning more or speaking with someone, you can sign-up here, and we'll be in touch. Please know that your name, experience, and any identifying information will never be shared without your explicit consent.
Share your story - CLICK HERE
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Shrinking TABOR refunds and recession risks:
What we just learned about Colorado’s economy
"Colorado’s economy is still growing, but uncertain conditions and rising costs means that lawmakers have little room to expand government services. 'Our forecast anticipates continued growth, albeit slow growth,' said Louis Pino, an economist for Legislative Council Services, during a quarterly update on Tuesday before the Joint Budget Committee. Economic expansion usually means more dollars for the state’s general fund — but that money’s already being eaten up by the growing demands on the budget, as well as the limits set by the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights ..." - READ MORE
Source https://www.cpr.org
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Coloradans can expect more than $2.5 billion in tax refunds -
as long as the economy doesn’t tank
"Coloradans will receive more than $2.5 billion in tax refunds from the state as long as there isn’t a recession, according to two quarterly economic and tax revenue forecasts presented Thursday to the legislature ..." - READ MORE
Source https://coloradosun.com
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Disability rights activists have ambitious goals for Colorado,
from outdoor recreation to the halls of government
"Disability rights activists have big goals at the Colorado legislature this year, to strengthen discrimination protections and reshape access to everything from government buildings and housing, to the great outdoors. Supporters say it’s the most ambitious slate of proposals in recent history ..." - READ MORE
Source https://www.cpr.org/
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Colorado’s push to lower hospital costs has a catch:
The state also needs hospitals’ money
"For years now, Democratic lawmakers have hammered a consistent point when it comes to health care prices: Coloradans are not getting their money’s worth. 'We pay too much for too little,' Gov. Jared Polis said at a recent news conference. But this effort to reign in the costs of care, especially when it comes to hospitals, has this year hit a barrier. While lawmakers eagerly want to reduce what hospitals charge, the state also cannot reduce hospitals’ overall revenues too much without suffering significant unintended consequences ..." - READ MORE
Source https://coloradosun.com
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Private equity and the monopolization of medical care
"Doctors are drowning in a sea of paperwork and patient visits - the result of increasing demands foisted on them by insurers and hospital administrators. With less time spent taking care of people and more spent tending to administrative tasks, physicians are experiencing greater stress (financial and psychological), along with 'a dramatic increase in burnout and decrease in satisfaction,' according to research published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings ..." - READ MORE
Source Robert Pearl, M.D on https://www.linkedin.com
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The Estimated Value of Tax Exemption for Nonprofit Hospitals
Was Nearly $28 Billion in 2020
"Over the years, some policymakers have questioned whether nonprofit hospitals—which account for nearly three-fifths (58%) of community hospitals—provide sufficient benefit to their communities to justify their exemption from federal, state, and local taxes. This issue has been the subject of renewed interest in light of reports of nonprofit hospitals taking aggressive steps to collect unpaid medical bills, including suing patients over unpaid medical debt, including patients who are likely eligible for financial assistance ..." - READ MORE
Source https://www.kff.org
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HCPF announces it will begin redetermination process
for Health First Colorado and CHP+ in May
"The Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Finance (HCPF) announced on Friday that it will resume the standard eligibility renewal and disenrollment process for state Medicaid and Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+) in May. Total enrollment in Medicaid programs grew by nearly 500,000 members since March 2020, when the federal government mandated a continuous coverage requirement for states to keep members covered. HCPF said it is working to transition some 325,000 Health First Colorado (Colorado Medicaid) and CHP+ members to other health coverage options over the coming year ..." - READ MORE
Source https://stateofreform.com/
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Interested in teaching, nursing, firefighting or construction?
Colorado lawmakers want to pay for your education.
"As Colorado hurts for more early childhood educators, nurses, firefighters, and workers across other industries, state legislators are attempting to fill critical workforce gaps with a pair of bills that would provide free training to an estimated 20,000 students and support about 15,000 graduating high school students each with $1,500 scholarships. One of the measures would cover education costs including tuition, fees, books and supplies ..." - READ MORE
Source https://coloradosun.com
https://coloradosun.com/2023/03/14/free-education-teaching-nursing-firefighting-construction/
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WeCareAdvisor Announcement
"Researchers at Drexel University and University of California are seeking family caregivers of people living with dementia for a nationwide study. The WeCareAdvisor is a tool to help family caregivers manage dementia-related behaviors. By walking caregivers through a step-by-step approach to understand why behaviors may be occurring, the WeCareAdvisor provides tailored strategies to help manage them. For more information, email WeCare@drexel.edu or visit http://wecareadvisorstudy.com.
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March is Women’s History Month
"This year the Denver Public Library highlighting the power of storytelling in understanding ourselves, our own history, and the history of women in our community. Through events and programs, we are providing you with the tools and inspiration to tell history that is not taught in school or described in textbooks, but that is based on your lived experience ..." - READ MORE
Source https://www.denverlibrary.org
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New Library Services Available through Strong Library
Thanks to Denver voters, Freegal Music+, an ad-free, unlimited streaming platform, and Statista, an easy-to-use portal for integrating statistics and reports, are available to anybody with a DPL library card. These new services are made possible because of #StrongLibraryStrongDenver, supported by the DPL Fund. Learn more here:
https://www.denverlibrary.org/stronglibrary_strongdenver
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CU Anschutz COAST-IT Program
Are you an older adult that would like to build a social connection with a CU Anschutz health professional student? The Multidisciplinary Center on Aging at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus is actively reaching out to more older adults in the community for the COAST-IT (Connecting Older Adults and Students Through Inter-professional Telecare) program. Older adults will have the opportunity to engage with a student from either the CU Anschutz School of Medicine, School of Pharmacy, College of Nursing, or School of Dental Medicine programs to mentor the future generation of healthcare clinicians.
Contact Joanna Fitzgibbons at joanna.fitzgibbons@cuanschutz.edu for more information
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March 20, 2023 - Monday, 9:30AM - 11:00AM
CCA Advocacy Committee Meeting via Zoom
There will be a CCA Advocacy Committee Meeting on Monday, March 20, 2023 from 9:30AM to 11:00AM. Newcomers and visitors are welcome - LEARN MORE
Website https://coloradocenterforaging.org/
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March 24, 2023 - Friday - 1:00PM - 2:00PM
HOA Forum: Metro/Special Districts And How They Interact With Your Community
The HOA Information & Resource Office will hold a webinar on the sometimes complex relationships between metro/special districts and your communities. Metro/special districts are different than Common Interest Communities, but many unit owners are subject to both. Join Nick Altmann, the HOA Information Officer, for a discussion on the relationship between these organizations on Friday, March 24, 2023 at 1:00 PM (MT).
This is an online webinar only. On behalf of the HOA Information & Resource Center, we look forward to you joining us. All are welcome to attend.
Register for the Event - CLICK HERE
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March 27, 2023 - Monday, 9:30AM - 11:00AM
CCA Advocacy Committee Meeting via Zoom
There will be a CCA Advocacy Committee Meeting on Monday, March 27, 2023 from 9:30AM to 11:00AM. Newcomers and visitors are welcome - LEARN MORE
Website https://coloradocenterforaging.org/
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March 28, 2023 - Tuesday - 9:30AM - 10:45AM
Aging Demographics in the DRCOG Region - Results of the Community Assessment Survey of Older Adults (CASOA) Webinar
Plan to attend our webinar on March 28th that explores a statistically valid survey of the strengths and weaknesses of older adults themselves to enable stakeholders to shape policy, educate the public and assist communities and organizations in their efforts to support and sustain older adult populations. No need to pre-register. To access the webinar, click on the Zoom link.
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84368309718?pwd=TGtPcEVDTGg0Wm1HYVprWEdhSG5adz09
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March, 29, 2023 - Wednesday - 5:30PM - 6:30PM
Pies and Charts - CFI's 2023 Mid-Session Briefing
Location: First Baptist Church - Miller Hall, 1373 Grant St., Denver, CO 80203
We are so excited to announce that CFI's Pies and Charts, our mid-session legislative briefing, is back in person. Join us on Wednesday, March 29, and hear some tasty updates from the team. We'll be serving up what we've been doing this year at the Capitol and dishing out the latest revenue projections, and discussing the different ways we can add to the recipe for a fair tax code that supports all Coloradans. CFI will provide the sweet treats, so be sure to bring your ap-PIE-tite. Reserve your slice today! This event is free and open to the public, but be sure to RSVP below. Questions? Contact Caitlin Schneider at schneider@coloradofiscal.org
RSVP Today - https://www.coloradofiscal.org/piescharts2023/home-featured/?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=fc61a939-bbff-4a30-84f2-18e4426742b8
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Looking to Sharpen your tech Skills?
Cyber-Seniors provides FREE technology support and training for senior citizens
Founded in 2015 by the creators of the award-winning documentary film CYBER-SENIORS, this non-profit organization provides senior citizens with tech-training using an intergenerational, volunteer model.
Website https://cyberseniors.org/
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Live Online Classes for Seniors from Senior Planet
If you’re a senior aged 60 and older, these live online classes are designed just for you! Learn about finance, wellness, fitness, computers and technology, and so much more. You will also find a real community of fellow life-long learners.
Website https://seniorplanet.org/classes/
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CCA Advocacy Committee Meetings 2023 | |
The first CCA Advocacy Committee will be meeting every Monday while the legislature is in session. Note that we may not have meetings on certain Federal and State holidays. | |
If you are not a member of Colorado Center for Aging - Join Today! | |
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Colorado Center for Aging is a 501c3 non-profit organization,
born out of the roots of Colorado Senior Lobby (CSL) - LEARN MORE
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