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Email This Article"The biggest failure of the General Assembly was the failure to impose a cigarette tax for Medicaid," said Jane Wiley, legislative director for the S.C. office of AARP, which has 451,000 members statewide. "They had the perfect chance to free up money for a whole gamut of services, but they didn't. "
She said the decision to use one-time federal money to maintain but not expand current services ensures that a lengthy waiting list of people requesting Medicaid waivers for in-home, long-term care will remain long.
Wiley also criticized House members who opposed a bill by Rep. Joel Lourie, D-Columbia, that would create a volunteer ombudsman program within the Department of Health and Human Services. The program would use volunteer citizens to augment DHHS efforts to monitor the care received by 39,000 residents living in 879 long-term care facilities around the state.
"DHHS only has 13 people for the entire state checking on these people," Wiley said. "That's ridiculous. We are one of only five states that does not have a volunteer ombudsman program. These volunteers would be trained to know what to look for, they would be the eyes and ears of the community. "
An initial pilot program would cost the state an estimated $70,000, according to Lourie's bill. Wiley said some House members opposed the bill because of pressure from the nursing home lobby.
"The AARP is going to be putting a lot of pressure on members of the House in between sessions to pass this bill," Wiley said. "It is very important, not only to older South Carolinians, but to their families who can't be there to look out for them."
