S H&HR SCR ORG #1 3-6

SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 95

(By Senators Stollings, Laird, Kirkendoll, Miller, Palumbo, Plymale, Tucker, Yost, Boley, Cole, M. Hall and Walters)

[Originating in the Committee on Health and Human Resources]

Requesting the Legislative Oversight Commission on Health and Human Resources Accountability to study the necessity and improvement of long-term care planning in West Virginia.

         Whereas, The baby boomer generation is coming of age to retire and it is important to examine the entire spectrum of long term care which both addresses the current and future plans of West Virginia to care for our senior citizens; and

         Whereas, West Virginia seemingly has no long-range plan to deal with this wave of retiring and aging citizens; and

         Whereas, The “baby boomer tsunami” is a reality. According to the U. S. Census Bureau, there are more than seventy-seven million boomers in the United States and by 2030, this demographic (born between 1946 and 1964) will represent an estimated twenty percent of the population. This means more than ten thousand baby boomers will turn sixty-five every day for the next sixteen years; and

         Whereas, West Virginia’s senior population presents an even greater challenge since West Virginia is second only to Florida in the average age of its population; and

         Whereas, This is not only a statewide issue. There are seniors who are awaiting services in certain geographic areas where the availability of services differs simply due to location; and

         Whereas, Services provided by county aging programs and their delivery areas are limited by the funding available to meet the needs of the retiring population; and

Whereas, There is a severe need for more resources and placement options for West Virginia’s aging population. Some states have Medicaid paid group homes and/or assisted living facilities that West Virginia does not have.  There would be a need for specialized adult family care providers, who would specialize in working with often difficult elderly consumers, which West Virginia cannot currently meet; and

         Whereas, Our existing infrastructure is already stretched beyond capacity and an aging population is only going to continue to overload an already overburdened system; and

         Whereas, West Virginia needs to explore options and develop a long and short-range plan to address the needs of our aging population by addressing such areas as: Continuum of long-term care service strategies, exploration of strategies being employed by other states, technical assistance from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services and other Federal agencies, payment formula and fiscal analysis which impact of aging population, provider availability by region and workforce availability by region; therefore, be it

         Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:

    That the Legislative Oversight Commission on Health and Human Resources Accountability is hereby requested to study the necessity and improvement of long-term care planning in West Virginia; and, be it

        Further Resolved, That the Legislative Oversight Commission on Health and Human Resources Accountability report to the regular session of the Legislature, 2015, on its findings, conclusions and recommendations, together with drafts of any legislation necessary to effectuate its recommendations; and, be it

        Further Resolved, That the expenses necessary to conduct this study, to prepare a report and to draft necessary legislation be paid from legislative appropriations to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance.