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The Alzheimers Association Virginia Advocacy Coalition (AAVAC)
is a unified voice advocating change in law and public policy to better serve people with
Alzheimers disease and their families.
AAVAC is composed of the public policy committees, membership and concerned citizen
volunteers of the eight Alzheimers Association Chapters throughout Virginia. The
Chapters provide services to approximately 100,000 Virginians and their families who
suffer the personal and financial devastation inflicted by Alzheimers disease.
AAVACs 1998 Legislative Platform addresses our constituents highest
priorities and demonstrates the need for legislative support to make sound public policy
decisions focusing on five Platform
Planks:
AAVAC works to enact into law the policy objectives described in the Legislative
Platform and monitors other legislation affecting Alzheimers individuals and their
families including: Medicaid, Managed Care, and Adult Care Residence Regulation.
AAVAC has endorsed seven proposals for
legislation:
- Consumer Protection in Managed Care:
The Alzheimers Association supports stronger consumer protection in securing quality
health care through an external appeals/dispute resolution process for resolving consumer
complaints in managed care; establishment of a managed care ombudsman to advocate on
behalf of consumers; improved coordination of the regulatory/oversight roles of the
Department of Health, Bureau of Insurance, Department of Health Professions and the
Virginia Health Quality Center; strengthened consumer participation in the governance of
managed care plans; and additional resources for the Virginia Insurance Counseling and
Advocacy Program (VICAP).
- Special Care Unit Disclosure: The
Alzheimers Association supports legislation that would require long term care
facilities with "special care units" -- for Alzheimers disease and related
dementias -- to provide consumers with written information of the features that make the
units special, and often more costly. The disclosure requirements should be enforced and
monitored by the relevant licensing agencies.
- Genetic Information Privacy: The
Alzheimers Association supports legislation to ensure that individuals are protected
from discrimination in insurance, health care, housing and employment based on genetic
information and from unauthorized disclosure of such genetic information. Such legislation
should preserve the ability of medical researchers searching for therapies or cures to
obtain and use genetic information in ways that protect privacy of individuals.
- Elder Rights Hotline: The
Alzheimers Association supports a strong and coordinated Elder Rights system,
including an Elder Rights hotline to provide accessible, low cost legal and Elder Rights
assistance to older Virginians statewide.
- Charitable Contribution Consumer
Protection: The Alzheimers Association supports legislation requiring
professional solicitors for charitable organizations to disclose the percent of revenues
solicited which are spent on overhead and administrative costs as well as the percent of
actual revenues which go to the charitable organization.
- Guardianship of Last Resort: The
Alzheimers Association supports development of a statewide system of guardianship of
last resort for vulnerable incapacitated adults with no one to make personal or property
decisions.
- Aging/Long Term Care Policy, Planning and
Licensure: The Alzheimers Association supports coordination of aging/long
term care policy, planning and licensure through a stronger and more visible role for the
Department for the Aging and consolidation of the licensure function, with sufficient
staffing and sanctions.
AAVAC invites your support for the Legislative Platform and monitoring of related
legislative policy initiatives to better serve people with Alzheimers disease and
their families across Virginia.
Contact:
Ian N. Kremer
Director, Public Policy
Alzheimers Association, Northern Virginia Chapter
telephone: (703) 359-4440
facsimile: (703) 359-4441
e-mail: [email protected]
You can track the progress of these and other issues currently before the Virginia
General Assembly at the 1998 Legislative Updates section and
read last year's 1997 Legislative Platform.
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Last updated: January 24, 1998
Please return to https://www.alz-nova.org or call toll-free (866) 259-0042 or (703) 359-4440 for more information about services in Northern Virginia.
© 1997 - 2001 Alzheimer's Association of the National Capital Area. All rights reserved.
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