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2012-07-17 Disability Board MinutesEDMONDS' DISABILITY BOARD Meeting minutes July 17, 2012 MEMBERS PRESENT: Ken Jones, Chair Joan Bloom, Council Member Adrienne Fraley-Monillas, Council Member Dr. Michael Deming, Citizen at Large STAFF PRESENT: Mary Ann Hardie, HR Manager Deborah Pinney, HR Assistant CALL TO ORDER: Chair Ken Jones called the Board meeting to order at 8:42 am. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Citizen at Large Dr. Michael Deming made a motion to approve the meeting minutes of April 18, 2012. Council Member Adrienne Fraley-Monillas seconded the motion. The motion carried. DISCUSS AND APPROVE CLAIMS SUMMARY REPORT: HR Manager Mary Ann Hardie reviewed the Claims Summary of April 1, 2012 up to and including June 30, 2012 as follows: SUMMARY OF CURRENT COSTS: (4/1/12 — 6/30/12) SERVICE TOTAL NUMBER OF CLAIMS COST Prescription Co -Pas 12 $1,617.26 Visiting Angels Nurse Care 6 36,524.94 Purchase of Eye Glasses 2 300.00 Medicare Premium Reimbursement 1 1,158.00 Dental Reimbursement 1 46.00 Hearing Aids 1 3,034.00 Medical Equipment/Medically Necessary Services 0 0.00 TOTALS: 23 $42,680.20 The total expense for the period 4/1/12 — 6/30/12 was $42,680.20 with 23 claims for the period. Ms. Hardie explained that while the total amount of claims for this period were lower than the same period in 2011, the total cost for this period was higher due to the increase in Visiting Angels Nurse Care costs (with two LEOFF 1 members using this service). Council Member Joan Bloom inquired as to whether or not respite care was being used by either of the LEOFF 1 members (for the relief of the spouse) and being paid for by the Board. Chair Jones confirmed that it was not. Council Member Bloom stated that she would like for the Board to have further discussion about respite care and for the Board to set an approved amount of respite care usage (such as up to three times per week) which would be incorporated in the Long Term Care and/or Assisted Living Care policies. Dr. Deming made a motion to approve the claims REQUEST FOR REIMBURSEMENT Hearing Aids in the amount of $4000 Ms. Hardie explained that a LEOFF 1 member was submitting a request for reimbursement for the purchase of two hearing aids in the amount of $4,000.00 to the Board for approval. Ms. Hardie pointed out that the total cost of the hearing aids was actually $4,034.00 and that she had informed the LEOFF 1 member of request that per the policy, an additional two complete hearing aid estimates from other hearing aid providers were required to be submitted to the Board for further consideration of reimbursement above the $4000.00 approved total. There was some discussion that followed by the Board as to: 1) whether or not the Hearing Aid Reimbursement Policy should be revised to require additional estimates for hearing aid reimbursements to be submitted even when the hearing aid reimbursement requests are for $4,000.00 as noted in the policy and; 2) whether the $4,000 was an appropriate amount for reimbursement in the policy since some hearing aids are specialized and not all hearing aids have the same features. Chair Jones suggested that the Board could reconsider the policy limitations after additional information was obtained and reviewed on hearing aid costs. After some discussion, the Board requested that the HR staff contact a local Hearing Aid vendor in town (Advanced Hearing Systems) and request that this provider attend the next Board meeting (in October) to explain to the Board the normal range of costs for hearing aids. Additionally, the Board requested that the HR staff obtain Hearing Aid policy information from the 12 comparator cities in King, Snohomish, Pierce, Thurston & Kitsap counties so that the Board could review this information and reconsider the reimbursement policy. Board Member Gary McComas made a motion to approve the hearing aid reimbursement request in the amount of $4,000.00 based on medical necessity for the LEOFF 1 member of discussion. Dr. Deming seconded the motion. The motion carried. REPORT ON WLSEA CONFERENCE IN CHELAN Chair Jones attended the recent 2012 WSLEA Conference in Chelan, Washington from May 8 — May 10, 2012. Chair Jones provided the Board members with updated copies of the state county and city Disability Board policies that were given out at the conference. One of the topics of discussion at the conference was home care & assisted living. Chair Jones further explained that he had asked Joe Fischnaller (the preeminent LEOFF 1 attorney who was in attendance at the conference) about his legal opinion on costs that are required to be covered by the Board based on medical necessity under the LEOFF 1 RCW's. According to the information provided to the Chair by Mr. Fischnaller, each Board has the authority to determine what is covered [such as respite care] as long as all the LEOFF 1's medically necessary expenses needs are met. Chair Jones also provided information from the State Actuary which reflects that the LEOFF 1 pension fund (through DRS) is adequately funded through 2050. POSSIBLE FURTHER DISCUSSION/REVIEW OF THE APPROVED IN HOME CARE ASSISTED LIVING POLICY AND PROCEDURE (008.11) There was further discussion that followed by the Board about the current Long Term Care Policy and whether or not it included a nursing care policy. Council Members Fraley-Monillas and Bloom stated that they will be working on the policies using the policy information Chair Jones had provided information from the WSLEA conference from other county and city Board policies on Long Term Care to be discussed further at the next Board meeting. 2010 & 2011 LEOFF 1 ACTUARIAL STUDY RESULTS Ms. Hardie explained that the City had recently undergone another LEOFF 1 Actuarial study in the spring of 2012. According to the study, the City's total liability has decreased from and approximate $10.5M to an approximate $9.7M (which is partially attributable to the passing away of 4 LEOFF 1 members since the last study was performed). Ms. Hardie stated that copies of the study were available for any of the Board members if they requested that she would send electronically. Additionally, if the Board had any specific questions about the study, they could contact the Finance Director, Shawn Hunstock for more information. Council Members Fraley- Monillas and Bloom requested that Ms. Hardie please send them copies of the study for their further review. Council Members Fraley-Monillas and Bloom voiced considerably concern about the continued rising costs of long term care and other Board expenses. Ms. Hardie stated that with the $1.7M projected deficit the City is facing going into 2013, financial hardship will be setting in and that cost awareness and containment in the budget is a focal interest across of the City. Ms. Hardie further reminded the Board that the Board ultimately has the authority per the RCW's to set policy limits [on dollar amounts] for reimbursement requests [as appropriate]. NEW BUSINESS None. The Disability Board meeting adjourned at 9:56 am.