Session Victories for Seniors

By Lt. Governor Joe Maxwell

	This legislative session has been marked by successes that will truly improve the lives, safety, and health of Missouri's seniors.  As Missouri's elderly advocate, I am proud of two very important accomplishments for the seniors of this state: meaningful reform to the laws that protect our seniors from abuse and neglect in nursing homes and an improved senior prescription drug program. These crucial reform measures were not only passed with days to spare during this session, but both received overwhelming bipartisan support on their way to the governor's desk.

	This session was marked with an outstanding victory for seniors, the passage of Senate Bills 556 and 311, known as the Senior Care and Protection Act of 2003.  After witnessing nursing home reform bills continuously failing to pass during the past three years, I made it the commitment of my office to see meaningful reforms made to the protections for our senior citizens in nursing homes.  By passing the Senior Care and Protection Act of 2003, we will finally be able to put teeth into the laws that govern the protection of our seniors from abuse and neglect in nursing homes.  
This success would not have been possible without the outstanding support of the senior organizations that gave their time and resources to see this legislation passed. I thank these groups for helping us to achieve the wide bipartisan support and commitment of the House and Senate leadership that made passing this legislation possible.  I thank the leadership and all our legislators for finally passing this legislation that will increase the quality of care received by seniors in our nursing homes and protect them from abuse and neglect.
	
	Additionally, the legislature has ensured that Missouri seniors will continue to be able to receive generic prescription drugs through the Missouri SenioRx Program by passing Senate Bill 307.  By fixing a glitch in the rebate rates, generic drug manufacturers will be able to continue their participation in this program.  In doing so, the more than 20,000 Missouri seniors enrolled in the program will be able to continue to purchase less costly generic medications through Missouri SenioRx.  This legislation received the unanimous vote of both the Missouri Senate and House of Representatives, and I thank each of these members for their dedication to Missouri seniors.  

	Despite these legislative successes, the budget sent to the governor cuts funding to many of our necessary senior services. My office will continue to work toward restoring this funding for our seniors who rely on vital services such as senior transportation and home-delivered meals to be able to live a productive and healthy life.  These budgetary cuts and our legislative successes both demonstrate our need to continually work to pass legislation and maintain services that protect and benefit our senior citizens who have made our country and state into the land that it is today. I look forward to serving the needs of Missouri's growing senior population and to assist in the implementation of these new legislative victories throughout the coming months.