STRONGER FAMILIES MAKE A STRONGER COUNTRY
We are marking a very important anniversary. This year is the 20th anniversary of the landmark Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). It was signed into law on February 5th in 1993.
This legislation is all about family. And I think Missouri workers need public policies that support them in spending time with and taking care of their families. I also believe they should be able to do this without worrying about the security of their job or the fear of jeopardizing economic stability at home.
FMLA has been used more than 100 million times in the last 20 years, by workers who take unpaid leave to care for loved ones in need. Whether it is celebrating the birth or adoption of a child, assisting with the upbringing of grandchildren, caring for parents, partners, or spouses, or dealing with illness, the Family and Medical Leave Act allows workers to know their jobs will still be there when they return. It allows us to manage the demands of work, home, and family.
FMLA requires employers, with 50 or more employees, to allow those who are working for them, to have up to 12 weeks of job-protected, unpaid leave each year.
In the last two decades, this has meant many things:
- Millions of mothers and fathers have been granted time to take care of infants.
- Pregnant women are given time to take care of themselves.
- adult children can take time to care for sick parents.
I am certain we all know someone who has benefitted from FMLA. One of my staffers, who recently returned from leave after the birth of their first child, told me he felt the time was invaluable.
As we move forward, I believe it is time to strengthen FMLA by providing more protection to more of the workforce. We should also expand access to paid, as well as unpaid, leave.
Almost half of all workers in this country are women. And 40% of working women are the primary breadwinners in their families. We need to recognize this and formulate policy that best serves and protects them.
Helping parents better balance the responsibilities at home – and at work – makes for stronger families, a stronger economy, and a stronger country – for all of us.
MEDICAID AND SENIORS
Last week I promised you an update on Medicaid – so I wanted to do just that. Below are some facts and figures when it comes to protecting our seniors.
Medicaid by the numbers:- Sixty-seven million Americans rely on Medicaid, including six million seniors and one million nursing home residents.
- Nine million seniors and people with disabilities qualify for Medicare and Medicaid because of their low incomes. Depending on their income level, low-income seniors get help from Medicaid to pay for Medicare's premium and cost-sharing requirements as well as for services not covered by Medicare (like vision and hearing care).
Medicaid is the biggest source of long-term care financing:- 70% of people over 65 will need long-term care services at some point in their life.
- Medicaid is the primary payer for long-term care services, from those needed to help people living independently in their community to nursing home care.
- Medicaid pays for 42 percent of total long-term care spending in the U.S.
Long-term care costs are unaffordable without Medicaid:- Half of all seniors live on incomes at or below $22,500. One in four lives on $14,000 or less.
- According to the Genworth Cost of Care Survey 2013, the national average cost of a semi-private nursing home room is over $75,500 a year (up 3.3% since 2012), a private room is nearly $84,000 (up 3.6%) and a one-bedroom apartment in an assisted living facility is $41,400 (up 4.55%).
The Affordable Care Act improves Medicaid for seniors:- Helps seniors age in place in their own homes by giving states the Community First Choice Option to provide home based services.
- Improves nursing home quality by improving oversight of nursing homes and giving seniors and their families more information so that they can better compare the quality of facilities.
- Requires training to help better care for people living with dementia and to prevent abuse.
- Includes criminal background checks of people who care for frail seniors in facilities or in their own homes.
MISSOURI'S ECONOMY AND GOOD HEALTH MAKE A HUGE LEAP
Great news this week as Missouri jumped 10 spots in the number of farmers markets nationwide. Our state was 19th, but is now ranked 9th for states with the most farmers markets. This is based on listings in the USDA directory. Missouri now boasts 246 markets, soaring ahead of most other states, in just 1 year.
Farmers markets are a part of one of the fastest growing segments of agriculture. Direct sales of food products from farmers to individual consumers, according to the latest Census of Agriculture, have increased by nearly 50% from 2002 to 2007. Local food sales now stand at nearly $7 billion and there are more than 8,000 farmers markets nationwide. This confirms the growth and sustainability of this critical cog in the wheel of our nation's food system and supply.
They are a vital part of making healthy produce accessible to all. And at the same time, they provide important economic opportunities for farmers. These markets are becoming more diverse and a larger number of farms, large and small, are participating. We must work to keep older farmers markets strong, while providing a chance for newer markets to grow and prosper. If you'd like a list of markets in our area, please visit: /farmers-markets-and-missouri.
NO ADDED COST FOR VETERANS
Many veterans have called my office asking about the Affordable Care Act and what it might mean for them and their families when it comes to costs. I want to pass along some information just released by the Department of Veterans about this very issue. For veterans getting health care through the VA, there won't be any changes when ACA takes effect next year. That also means there will be no additional out-of-pocket costs. Those enrolled already in VA health care don't need to do anything further. And those not enrolled can apply at any time. Men and women who have served this country so valiantly and selflessly deserve the best we have to offer in the way of healthcare. There are more than 1.3 million veterans and almost a million family members of veterans without health insurance. Most are eligible for VA health care. While some veterans have small copayments for health care or prescriptions most do not. There is no enrollment fee, no monthly premiums and no deductibles. One of the goals of ACA was to expand access to coverage while reducing rising health care costs. Improving the quality and coordination of care is also extremely important.
To learn more about the VA's new awareness campaign concerning healthcare you can visit: www.va.gov/aca. For veterans who would like to apply for VA health care you can go to: www.va.gov/healthbenefits/enroll. Or you can call 1-877-222-VETS (8387). You can also visit your local VA health care facility.
FIGHTING AGAINST SICKLE CELL
| | Congressman Cleaver addresses the crowd about the need for continued funding and research to fight Sickle Cell Anemia |
I was honored recently to speak to a group in Washington about the importance of fighting Sickle Cell Disease. It is an inherited disorder involving the red blood cells. It can be very painful and cause great damage to vital organs, like the spleen and kidneys. In this country alone, as many as 100,000 people, primarily African Americans, are affected. More than 2 million Americans have the sickle cell trait.
Longer than 100 years ago, Sickle Cell Disease was discovered. Yet, still today, statistics show an overwhelming number of sickle cell clients get less medical care, and care that is often of a lower quality, because of limited programs, treatment, and services.
I believe the Sickle Cell Treatment Act is very important. It would provide the tools that states, communities, and patients need to prevent, treat, and study the disease. An excellent model for this sits right in the heart of Missouri's Fifth District at Truman Medical Center' Sickle Cell Disease Center. This is a facility that provides excellent patient-centered services.
As a nation, there is more we can do to make the quality of life, and care, better for those suffering from this disease.
Emanuel Cleaver, II
Member of Congress
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