The LeadingAge PEAK conference was held this week in Washington, D.C., in the midst of intense advocacy efforts related to the American Health Care Act (AHCA). SDHAO board members and LeadingAge delegates, Erica Peterson and Justin Hinker joined Jen Porter, vice president post-acute care, and more than 1,000 attendees at the conference. The group also incorporated Capitol Hill visits with the South Dakota congressional delegation on key issues impacting post-acute members in the state.
They discussed a list of issues outlined in a priority document, including Medicaid reform, the need for regulatory relief, opportunities for legislative actions to assist providers and Medicare observation days. In addition to the Hill visits, the conference included the LeadingAge Public Policy Congress, which serves as a deliberative body and has responsibility for recommending public policy principles to the LeadingAge Board of Directors. These public policy discussions addressed the following topics: Medicaid reform, housing, financing long term care services and supports, workforce, and home- and community-based services.
The Public Policy Congress will undergo structure changes for the remainder of 2017 to adapt to strategic priorities.
