Campaign for Modern Medicines (CMM)

CMM

We recently partnered with the Campaign for Modern Medicines (CMM) to urge Congress to get new, safe medicines to market faster by quickly reauthorizing PDUFA (Prescription Drug User Fee Act). We believe this issue is critical for us and our members and we encourage you to get engaged. Go to www.modernmedicines.com for more information on how to show your support, and follow CMM on Facebook or Twitter.

To learn more about PDUFA and why it should matter to you, read this blog post from the Campaign: http://modernmedicines.com/pdufa
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ISSUE: Guardianship Services for Indigent Patients with Mental Incapacitation

STATEMENT: Nationally, the number of persons who will be affected by a condition causing mental incapacity is growing. The number of elderly persons over age 65 is increasing, as are the cases of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. Add to this the growing number of persons who suffer from mental illness or developmental disabilities. As the number of persons likely to become incapacitated increases, the need for guardianship services also will dramatically increase.

This is of particular concern to healthcare providers in Indiana, as the state of Indiana has recently made cuts in funding to agencies that provide guardianship services, like Mental Health America of Greater Indianapolis (MHAGI). Healthcare providers in Indiana rely on agencies like MHAGI to provide guardianship services for indigent patients who lack resources to pay for guardianship services.

Volunteer Advocate Programs, pursuant to Indiana Law 2938.5, have been created and funded by several healthcare systems in Indiana. The Indiana Adult Guardianship Services Project also secured initial state funding for several programs in various counties in Indiana, but the state has cut this funding and the programs have been forced to find alternative funding in order to sustain themselves. Although the Volunteer Advocate Programs are a good solution to increasing the number of guardians and quality of guardianship services, they cannot completely meet the need for professional guardianship services that are provided through agencies like MHAGI.

MHAI will support efforts and legislation to ensure that state funding is redirected to guardianship services, not only in an effort to fund and establish Volunteer Advocate Programs, but to help provide resources and funding to agencies that provide guardianship services to indigent patients in the state of Indiana.

PRIORITY LEVEL I