Posted: 7/12/05
County facing new elderly insurance requirements
By David Heiller
Argus News Editor
Houston County is facing new requirements for providing health related services to senior citizens.
County public health director Linda Grupa told the board about them for the second week in a row.
Blue Plus and UCare are going to be purchasing services from the county for its clients who are considered ìcommunity wellî and are eligible for Medicare or Medical Assistance but havenít used those services.
This is a provision in the Minnesota Senior Health Options in which clients are eligible for institution (nursing home), community well, and living in the community with supportive services such as assisted living, meals on wheels, and home health care.
There are pros and cons to the change. The insurance companies feel the the county can do the work better than they can, Grupa said, and she agreed with that assessment.
But the numbers of new clients concern her. Blue Plus has only 18 new clients, but UCare has 90. ì108 is a horse of a different color,î Grupa said. ìIím going to need more help to do that.î
Grupa said she would be running numbers to see the impact, then will revisit it with the board.
Grupa explained the program to The Argus in further detail on July 7. ìThe county has provided case management services for years. We would like to continue to provide that service,î she said. ìThis increases the number of people that access these services.î
The insurance programs are purchasing the countyís network of providers and wonít have to develop contracts with vendors who accept Elderly Waiver as a payment, Grupa said. Elderly Waiver is a special Medical Assistance program that Minnesota receives from the Federal government to enhance benefits for the elderly.
ìWe like that this program uses a prevention model of care. By providing access to supportive services earlier, people can stay in their homes longer,î Grupa said.
Both the vendors and the clients have face-to-face dealings with county workers, Grupa said, and money spent on case management stays in the community.
Extension report
Houston County Extension Service Program Coordinator Rebecca Pruss and Regional Extension Educator Holly Kanengieter gave an update on extension programs.
Kanengieter said that Houston County 4-H numbers are going down a little, but they are working to get them up. ìTheyíre pretty steady, and theyíre pretty consistent throughout the state,î Kanengieter said. ìSome are up and some are down.î
A grant from Tri-County Electric and Ace Communications is helping several programs, including the food stand, state fair transportation, project day, and a project called ìSharing Your 4-H Experience.î
Pruss said that a Youth 4-H Explorers day camp at Camp Winnebago on June 29 had 28 children in grades K-4. Another one on July 12 has 41 kids signed up. About 20 kids in the two groups are not in 4-H, Pruss said.
Several other 4-H activities were explained in Prussís handout, such as a painting class by Joe Piatt, a dairy fitting clinic taught by Elsa Arnold, a livestock quality assurance and ethics training class, a dog obedience class, and a ìbunny bashî led by Caledoniaís renowned rabbit expert, Julie Crawford.
In other business, auditor Pete Johnson gave the board an update on the 26-21 vote by members of the regional Minnesota Counties Computer Cooperative to switch tax systems from its current provider to a new one.
The situation is still in limbo and a decision will have to be made soon, Johnson said. Manatron, the new provider, will have to rewrite its program to accommodate Minnesotaís new tax law, he added.
Johnson was among the county representatives who voted with the minority on June 30 to stick with the old system, Affiliated Computer
Services.
ACS will continue to provide service through 2008. Manatron will be phased in during that time.
ï The board also looked at a memo that commissioner Ann Thompson asked personnel director Tim Comstock to send to the sheriffís department that requested their assistance in patrolling and providing enforcement at Wildcat Park in Brownsville.
ìIn short, the Sheriffís Office is being asked to help assist the Park Manager with enforcement all of the park Regulations, but more specifically, you are being requested to increase your patrol of Wildcat Park after 11:00 PM., especially on weekends,î the memo stated.
Thompson said there had not been a lot of extra problems at the park, but that the memo was intended as a reminder.
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