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NEVADA

The work of four strategic planning groups was completed in 2002, resulting in a comprehensive range of recommendations for expanding access to home and community-based long-term care services for Nevada citizens. The final plans established goals both for the near-term and for the next 10 years.

Planning and Reports

Assembly Bill 513 in the 71^st legislative session authorized and funded four strategic plan studies to help ensure the availability of community services for vulnerable populations: people with disabilities, senior services, provider rates, and rural health services. The four plans were completed and released in the fall of 2002.

The Nevada Strategic Plan for People with Disabilities included the following recommendations.

• The adoption of a 211 access line/No Wrong Door program, to enable people with disabilities to access information, services and supports;

• The establishment of an Office of Disability Services within the Department of Human Resources;

• Adequate and continued funding to reduce waiting lists and provide necessary waivers;

• Involvement of people with disabilities in policy development and program monitoring; and

• Ongoing collection of data.

The Senior Services Strategic Plan, entitled Act Now or Pay Later: Ten-Year Targets to Preserve the Health and Independence of Nevada Seniors Health, contained six over-arching strategies, listed below.

• An information campaign to increase the public's awareness of aging and to educate and empower individuals and their informal support systems to create a positive climate for aging in Nevada.

• A combination of incentives, regulation and advocacy to encourage private-sector initiatives in such areas as development of appropriate housing and transportation services and long-term care insurance.

• A single point of entry system for easier access to information about assistance, care planning and other essential services.

• Changes in reimbursement rates and development of career incentives to encourage and stimulate the recruitment and retention of direct-care workers.

• Increased investment in home and community-based services by accelerating extension of such services to those people who are above the Medicaid income level who are at risk for nursing home care but prefer to remain at home.

• New and timely data collection and analysis.

The strategic plan for senior citizens contains specific goals and target dates by which the goals should be realized. For example, one goal is "More Nevada seniors get the benefits, services, and support they need." The target in the plan is that, by June 30, 2010, " ... 85,000 Nevada seniors and their family members use a single point of entry system to access information and referral for the array of available services."

The Budget

Governor Kenny Guinn proposed raising taxes on businesses, services, cigarettes and liquor to pay for expanding needs and some expanded services. Included among the latter was his plan to increase spending to improve mental health services by about $47 million in FY 2004.

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