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92_HB6040eng HB6040 Engrossed LRB9214424AGmbA 1 AN ACT concerning senior health assistance. 2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 3 represented in the General Assembly: 4 Section 5. The Illinois Act on the Aging is amended by 5 changing Section 4.01 as follows: 6 (20 ILCS 105/4.01) (from Ch. 23, par. 6104.01) 7 Sec. 4.01. Additional powers and duties of the 8 Department. In addition to powers and duties otherwise 9 provided by law, the Department shall have the following 10 powers and duties: 11 (1) To evaluate all programs, services, and facilities 12 for the aged and for minority senior citizens within the 13 State and determine the extent to which present public or 14 private programs, services and facilities meet the needs of 15 the aged. 16 (2) To coordinate and evaluate all programs, services, 17 and facilities for the Aging and for minority senior citizens 18 presently furnished by State agencies and make appropriate 19 recommendations regarding such services, programs and 20 facilities to the Governor and/or the General Assembly. 21 (3) To function as the sole State agency to develop a 22 comprehensive plan to meet the needs of the State's senior 23 citizens and the State's minority senior citizens. 24 (4) To receive and disburse State and federal funds made 25 available directly to the Department including those funds 26 made available under the Older Americans Act and the Senior 27 Community Service Employment Program for providing services 28 for senior citizens and minority senior citizens or for 29 purposes related thereto, and shall develop and administer 30 any State Plan for the Aging required by federal law. 31 (5) To solicit, accept, hold, and administer in behalf HB6040 Engrossed -2- LRB9214424AGmbA 1 of the State any grants or legacies of money, securities, or 2 property to the State of Illinois for services to senior 3 citizens and minority senior citizens or purposes related 4 thereto. 5 (6) To provide consultation and assistance to 6 communities, area agencies on aging, and groups developing 7 local services for senior citizens and minority senior 8 citizens. 9 (7) To promote community education regarding the 10 problems of senior citizens and minority senior citizens 11 through institutes, publications, radio, television and the 12 local press. 13 (8) To cooperate with agencies of the federal government 14 in studies and conferences designed to examine the needs of 15 senior citizens and minority senior citizens and to prepare 16 programs and facilities to meet those needs. 17 (9) To establish and maintain information and referral 18 sources throughout the State when not provided by other 19 agencies. 20 (10) To provide the staff support as may reasonably be 21 required by the Council and the Coordinating Committee of 22 State Agencies Serving Older Persons. 23 (11) To make and enforce rules and regulations necessary 24 and proper to the performance of its duties. 25 (12) To establish and fund programs or projects or 26 experimental facilities that are specially designed as 27 alternatives to institutional care. 28 (13) To develop a training program to train the 29 counselors presently employed by the Department's aging 30 network to provide Medicare beneficiaries with counseling and 31 advocacy in Medicare, private health insurance, and related 32 health care coverage plans. The Department shall report to 33 the General Assembly on the implementation of the training 34 program on or before December 1, 1986. HB6040 Engrossed -3- LRB9214424AGmbA 1 (14) To make a grant to an institution of higher 2 learning to study the feasibility of establishing and 3 implementing an affirmative action employment plan for the 4 recruitment, hiring, training and retraining of persons 60 or 5 more years old for jobs for which their employment would not 6 be precluded by law. 7 (15) To present one award annually in each of the 8 categories of community service, education, the performance 9 and graphic arts, and the labor force to outstanding Illinois 10 senior citizens and minority senior citizens in recognition 11 of their individual contributions to either community 12 service, education, the performance and graphic arts, or the 13 labor force. The awards shall be presented to four senior 14 citizens and minority senior citizens selected from a list of 15 44 nominees compiled annually by the Department. Nominations 16 shall be solicited from senior citizens' service providers, 17 area agencies on aging, senior citizens' centers, and senior 18 citizens' organizations. The Department shall consult with 19 the Coordinating Committee of State Agencies Serving Older 20 Persons to determine which of the nominees shall be the 21 recipient in each category of community service. The 22 Department shall establish a central location within the 23 State to be designated as the Senior Illinoisans Hall of Fame 24 for the public display of all the annual awards, or replicas 25 thereof. 26 (16) To establish multipurpose senior centers through 27 area agencies on aging and to fund those new and existing 28 multipurpose senior centers through area agencies on aging, 29 the establishment and funding to begin in such areas of the 30 State as the Department shall designate by rule and as 31 specifically appropriated funds become available. 32 (17) To develop the content and format of the 33 acknowledgment regarding non-recourse reverse mortgage loans 34 under Section 6.1 of the Illinois Banking Act; to provide HB6040 Engrossed -4- LRB9214424AGmbA 1 independent consumer information on reverse mortgages and 2 alternatives; and to refer consumers to independent 3 counseling services with expertise in reverse mortgages. 4 (18) To develop a pamphlet in English and Spanish which 5 may be used by physicians licensed to practice medicine in 6 all of its branches pursuant to the Medical Practice Act of 7 1987, pharmacists licensed pursuant to the Pharmacy Practice 8 Act of 1987, and Illinois residents 65 years of age or older 9 for the purpose of assisting physicians, pharmacists, and 10 patients in monitoring prescriptions provided by various 11 physicians and to aid persons 65 years of age or older in 12 complying with directions for proper use of pharmaceutical 13 prescriptions. The pamphlet may provide space for recording 14 information including but not limited to the following: 15 (a) name and telephone number of the patient; 16 (b) name and telephone number of the prescribing 17 physician; 18 (c) date of prescription; 19 (d) name of drug prescribed; 20 (e) directions for patient compliance; and 21 (f) name and telephone number of dispensing 22 pharmacy. 23 In developing the pamphlet, the Department shall consult 24 with the Illinois State Medical Society, the Center for 25 Minority Health Services, the Illinois Pharmacists 26 Association and senior citizens organizations. The 27 Department shall distribute the pamphlets to physicians, 28 pharmacists and persons 65 years of age or older or various 29 senior citizen organizations throughout the State. 30 (19) To conduct a study by April 1, 1994 of the 31 feasibility of implementing the Senior Companion Program 32 throughout the State for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 33 1994. 34 (20) With respect to contracts in effect on July 1, HB6040 Engrossed -5- LRB9214424AGmbA 1 1994, the Department shall increase the grant amounts so that 2 the reimbursement rates paid through the community care 3 program for chore housekeeping services and homemakers are at 4 the same rate, which shall be the higher of the 2 rates 5 currently paid. With respect to all contracts entered into, 6 renewed, or extended on or after July 1, 1994, the 7 reimbursement rates paid through the community care program 8 for chore housekeeping services and homemakers shall be the 9 same. 10 (21) From funds appropriated to the Department from the 11 Meals on Wheels Fund, a special fund in the State treasury 12 that is hereby created, and in accordance with State and 13 federal guidelines and the intrastate funding formula, to 14 make grants to area agencies on aging, designated by the 15 Department, for the sole purpose of delivering meals to 16 homebound persons 60 years of age and older. 17 (22) To distribute, through its area agencies on aging, 18 information alerting seniors on safety issues regarding 19 emergency weather conditions, including extreme heat and 20 cold, flooding, tornadoes, electrical storms, and other 21 severe storm weather. The information shall include all 22 necessary instructions for safety and all emergency telephone 23 numbers of organizations that will provide additional 24 information and assistance. 25 (23) To develop guidelines for the organization and 26 implementation of Volunteer Services Credit Programs to be 27 administered by Area Agencies on Aging or community based 28 senior service organizations. The Department shall hold 29 public hearings on the proposed guidelines for public 30 comment, suggestion, and determination of public interest. 31 The guidelines shall be based on the findings of other states 32 and of community organizations in Illinois that are currently 33 operating volunteer services credit programs or demonstration 34 volunteer services credit programs. The Department shall HB6040 Engrossed -6- LRB9214424AGmbA 1 offer guidelines for all aspects of the programs including, 2 but not limited to, the following: 3 (a) types of services to be offered by volunteers; 4 (b) types of services to be received upon the 5 redemption of service credits; 6 (c) issues of liability for the volunteers and the 7 administering organizations; 8 (d) methods of tracking service credits earned and 9 service credits redeemed; 10 (e) issues of time limits for redemption of service 11 credits; 12 (f) methods of recruitment of volunteers; 13 (g) utilization of community volunteers, community 14 service groups, and other resources for delivering 15 services to be received by service credit program 16 clients; 17 (h) accountability and assurance that services will 18 be available to individuals who have earned service 19 credits; and 20 (i) volunteer screening and qualifications. 21 The Department shall submit a written copy of the guidelines 22 to the General Assembly by July 1, 1998. 23 (24) Senior Health Assistance Outreach Program. The 24 Department shall, with funds appropriated to the Department 25 for this specific purpose, establish a statewide senior 26 health assistance outreach program. The Department shall 27 work cooperatively with other Departments that fund senior 28 health assistance, including assistance with prescription 29 drugs, to insure maximum coordination. The Department shall 30 by rule determine the allocation of all funds received for 31 this purpose. The statewide senior health assistance outreach 32 program shall include a one-stop-shopping clearinghouse for 33 all information regarding prescription drug coverage programs 34 and other health assistance benefits available to seniors in HB6040 Engrossed -7- LRB9214424AGmbA 1 Illinois. The clearinghouse shall be operated in conjunction 2 with the Department's toll free senior information program. 3 All clearinghouse personnel shall receive training on 4 prescription drug assistance programs in addition to any 5 other training provided. 6 (Source: P.A. 89-249, eff. 8-4-95; 89-580, eff. 1-1-97; 7 90-251, eff. 1-1-98; revised 12-07-01.) 8 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 9 becoming law.