The Caring Economy: Putting our Children and our Seniors First

 

Building a caring economy for Michigan Seniors

Seniors are the bedrock of Detroit. In my years as an organizer, I’ve had the privilege to sit with many of our elders and share stories, resources, and struggles. Through these discussions, it’s become clear to me that Michigan Seniors are overcharged for medication, necessary medical procedures, and at-home and nursing care. Many have been sold the short end of the stick; the Pension Tax has hurt our retirees and many Detroiters were left to pay off the debt of the city. We need to build a system that takes care of Michigan Seniors, instead of one that drains them of resources and places heavy burdens on family members to provide care where others won’t. My proposals are designed to do just that. 

Proposals:

  1. COVID-19 Care

    • In Michigan and across the nation, Seniors in nursing and long-term care facilities have been hardest hit by COVID-19. As of this week, over 2,297 individuals had died in Michigan nursing homes—roughly 40 percent of all deaths from the virus in our state. In addition to the already disproportionate impact COVID-19 has on Seniors, these deaths can be attributed to cramped conditions and inadequate access to PPE within Michigan care facilities. We clearly need to do a better job of protecting Seniors from the virus. 

    • Michigan must fund stockpiles of PPE for Michigan’s nursing and long-term senior care facilities. We need to be prepared for future waves of COVID-19 and ensure that we remain prepared for future viruses that threaten to devastate Michigan’s Senior population. I would also push to reduce overcrowding in Senior Care facilities, bringing them into line with the social distancing policies enforced throughout other industries.

  2. Statewide Single Payer Healthcare

    • Michigan Seniors spend a fortune on healthcare. This comes in the form of required medication, assisted living and outpatient facilities, and the need for medical operations. Home care alone is a $94 billion industry, requiring large out-of-pocket expenditures from families and retirement savings. With all that spending, seniors have a right to expect top-notch care; however, a 2017 study on Senior Care across 11 developed countries found that the U.S. ranked at or near the bottom in many categories, including access, affordability, timeliness of care, and care coordination.

    • As part of my proposal to create a Single Payer Medicaid-for-all plan within Michigan, Seniors would receive increased coverage for prescription drugs, vision and dental care. Additionally, the program would negotiate down prescription drug costs with Big Pharma, ending price gouging on drugs that many Michigan seniors need to live healthy and comfortable lives.

  3. Fight to Repeal the Pension Tax

    • In 2011, Republicans in our state led a misguided tax overhaul that eliminated or reduced tax exemptions from retirement and pension income. This has impacted seniors in Michigan, many of whom had dedicated their lives to work in the public sector, and had a right to expect their full pension in retirement.

    • I support the repeal of the pension tax, and would seek revenue for the Michigan state government in places other than the pocketbooks of our seniors. My goal would be to fill the gap with revenue by voting against the re-up of corporate tax credits that are nearing their expiration dates.

  4. Tax Credits for Home Caregivers

    • Because of the heightened cost of Senior Care in Michigan, many family members take it upon themselves to provide services for their loved ones at home. In Michigan, 1.3 million residents perform these services—providing an estimated $15 billion worth of free care. On average, these caregivers spend $7,000 annually on health care equipment, building modifications and transportation to medical appointments, among other related costs. We need to ensure that Michigan residents aren’t punished financially for taking care of the state’s Seniors.

    • I support legislation recommended by AARP that would provide a tax credit to individuals providing At-Home Senior Care. This Caregiver Tax Credit would help to reduce the burden and out-of-pocket costs family members encounter when taking care of their loved ones by themselves. The Credit would range from $1,500 to $3,000, with eligibility determined by the amount of care provided by individuals.

  5. Fund Programs to Protect Against Elder Abuse

    • As Michigan residents grow older, they often find themselves as targets for abuse. This abuse can be financial, physical or sexual in nature, and without protection many Seniors are unable to protect themselves. Perpetrators include scammers and sometimes even children, other family members, spouses, caregivers, and staff at nursing homes, assisted living, and other facilities. While Michigan has a number of robust systems in place to protect its seniors, there are often too many cases for the state’s Adult Protective Services Department to fully investigate. In the 2019 fiscal year, 49,483 cases of suspected elder abuse were referred to APS. Of these, 9,319 cases were actually investigated, with APS finding “739 cases of physical abuse, 680 cases of emotional abuse, 2,496 cases of neglect, and 1,301 cases of financial exploitation.”

    • As a State Representative, I would work to ensure that the state provides complete funding for Elder Abuse prevention. I would increase the funding already allocated to Adult Protective Services, giving the Department the resources it needs to ensure cases of Elder Abuse are always investigated, and investigated thoroughly.

  6. Promote Retention and Require Training within the Caregiving Workforce.

    • Unfortunately, due to low wages and stressful working conditions, many Senior Care facilities struggle to retain caregivers. This turnover results in worse conditions for Michigan Seniors, and Caregivers that don’t—and cannot—get to know the individuals they care for. In order to remedy this turnover and improve Senior care, we need to fund training programs and wage increases for Caregivers. By taking these much needed steps, we will make positions as Caregivers more desirable, leaving employees comfortable with their roles and able to support their families on the wages they earn.

    • I would support legislation that mandates extensive training for members of the Caregiving Workforce operating in Medicaid-funded facilities. This training would be pre-service, allowing employees to fully understand their role prior to being thrown into their jobs. To support facilities implementing this training, I would also support state funding to reimburse employers for the time new hires spend learning to appropriately care for Seniors. Additionally, this training would be available in a variety of languages, with facilities encouraged to onboard and train staff members whose language skills reflect the diverse communities they serve.

Building a caring economy for Our Children

In addition to our Seniors, COVID-19 has been incredibly tough on families with children. First-line responders have been particularly hard hit, with many unable to spend time caring for their children for fear of risking exposure to the virus. We need to work to ensure that now--and into the future--Michigan children are appropriately cared for and educated. I propose a series of policies that would provide Michigan residents with access to subsidized child care, paid time off to tend to the needs of their children, and free access to early education. By adopting these proposals, we can ensure that all kids, regardless of income level or parental occupation, are given access to the same level of care they need to thrive.

Proposals:

  1. Expand and Restore Paid Sick Leave

    • In 2018, Michiganders successfully petitioned to have Paid Sick Leave added to the ballot. Shortly before the proposal went to the voters, Republicans in the Michigan Legislature voted to adopt it, and then immediately gutted the law with additional legislation. As a result, 55 percent of Michigan workers were left without paid sick leave at the outset of the COVID-19 crisis. We need to do better. That means reinstating paid sick leave, in line with the wishes of Michigan voters so that no family has to decide between a job and a child.

    • I would support HB 5628, a currently proposed bill co-sponsored by 30 Democrats that would reinstate the paid sick leave law that Michigan Republicans decided to gut in 2018. This legislation is the best way to both eliminate the risk of COVID-19 exposure and allow parents to care for their children in the midst of our current public health crisis.

  2. Mandatory Universal Pre-K

    • Michigan is on the way to universal pre-K, but, there’s a lot left to do. Currently, school districts have the option of providing two years of kindergarten to district students. Those districts that opt into the program receive reimbursement from the state on a per-pupil basis—the same system used for traditional K-12 education. Under the current optional-enrollment system, just over half of Michigan’s 4-year-olds have enrolled in taxpayer-funded preschool or developmental kindergarten programs. In states where school districts are required to have pre-K programs, that enrollment is closer to 80 percent.

    • I plan to propose legislation mandating universal pre-K services for all Michigan students. Each district in Michigan would be required to develop a program allowing 4-year-olds across the state to receive early education. Much like the current system, the state would fund these programs on a per-pupil basis. By mandating pre-K, we will both increase long-term student performance and allow provide parents with much needed child care services.

  3. Subsidized Child Care

    • The state of Michigan currently offers subsidized child care services for a limited number of individuals. To qualify under the system as it stands today, one must meet the eligibility criteria and have a relatively low income. Despite the current assistance, families still struggle to pay the increasingly steep costs associated with child supervision and care. This gap in access to child care has been heightened in the wake of COVID-19, with the Michigan unemployment rate reaching 22 percent. Increasing subsidies to a larger number of Michigan families will reduce this gap and allow all families to access high quality child care regardless of income.

    • I would introduce legislation to expand child care financing so that all but the wealthiest Michiganders have access to subsidies. In order to qualify for free child care under the current system, a family of three can make no more than $21,336. Under my program, the upper limit on free access to child care would be increased to 300 percent of the poverty level. For example, a family of three making under $65,160 would pay nothing to receive quality child care services.