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February 26, 2023


Our next meeting is Monday, February 27, 2023. Our meeting is from 9:30AM to 11:00AM, but may go to 11:30AM.

There are bills to review & take positions on

Jeanette Hensley and Rich Mauro will lead us in reviewing bills that have been added to our CCA Bill Tracker. We will also take positions on bills that were reviewed at last week's meeting and we will be looking for at least one member to step forward for each bill we are keeping on our list. 


Rich will also review the special CCA Advocacy meeting we had on Feb 22nd dealing with 2023 Bills on housing and landlord/tenants. He will also give us an update on the housing/land use/transportation bill expected from the governor. The bills dealing with housing have been added to a separate CCA Housing Bill Tracker - CLICK HERE


View our meeting agenda to see a list that prioritizes bills for discussion

at the Monday morning meeting - CLICK HERE


Our approach is to review the bills one week and then the following week our members vote on whether to monitor, support, strongly support, or oppose. If we keep a bill in our Bill watch account, we need a member to step up as a point of contact. 


We ask that those who have volunteered to track a specific bill

be prepared to report to the group on its status.

Link to CCA Bill Tracker - CLICK HERE

News about the CCA Capitol Gang

  • There is still time to get more involved with the CCA Capitol Gang. Send us an email if you are interested - CLICK HERE
  • Is your Coloradao Center for Aging membership current? Remember that to vote on bill positions you must be a member. Send us an email if you are unsure if you are a member - CLICK HERE

Questions about CCA Advocacy Committee


Jeanette Hensley - email - 303-249-5598

Co-Chair of CCA Advocacy Committee


Rich Mauro - email - Direct: 303-480-6778

Co-Chair of CCA Advocacy Committee and Senior Policy and Legislative Analyst Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG)

Zoom Link for Monday's Meeting

Topic: CCA: Advocacy Committee Meeting

9:30AM - 11:00AM Mountain Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8814815119?pwd=cXJGUFRVQ09kV1RzZ25QVG90RHBOQT09


Meeting ID: 881 481 5119

NEW Passcode: CCA2023#


One tap mobile

+17193594580,,8814815119#,,,,*01201897# US

+12532158782,,8814815119#,,,,*01201897# US (Tacoma)


Dial by your location

  +1 719 359 4580 US

  +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)

Meeting ID: 881 481 5119

Passcode: 01201897

Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kbZvU5bskJ

News & Highlights from CCA

Friday, March 3, 2023 - 8:00AM - 9:00AM

Legislative Caucus on Aging

Atttend in Person or via Zoom

Address: Colorado State Capitol, 200 E Colfax Ave

Denver, CO 80203

House Committee Room (HCR) 0112

Join us for the First 2023 Legislative Caucus on Aging meeting at the Capitol on Friday March 3rd from 8 - 9 am. The Program will include invited Legislators presenting their bills that have a direct impact for older Coloradans.


You are ENCOURAGED to attend in person, or via Zoom. Legislators are invited to share their 2023 priority bills that have a direct impact for older Coloradans. The Legislative Caucus on Aging is Co-chaired by Representative Mary Young and Senator Joann Ginal and organizations that advocate for older adults in Colorado.

Learn More: https://coloradocenterforaging.org/cca-news/legislative_caucus/


Zoom Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87563333008

Or One tap mobile: US: +17193594580,,87563333008# 

or +17207072699,,87563333008#

Or Telephone: Dial (for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location): US: +1 719 359 4580 or +1 720 707 2699

Webinar ID: 875 6333 3008

Vote Coming Up on HB23-1126 on Monday, Feb 27th

Contact Your Representatives TODAY! 

The Colorado House of Representatives will be voting on House Bill 23-1126 on Monday morning, 2/27! HB1126 would stop medical debt from being included on Coloradans’ credit reports and factored into their credit scores. Contact your Representative TODAY and tell them to vote YES on HB23-1126. Medical debt is a major problem in Colorado: 1 in 8 Coloradans has medical debt in collections. Medical debt harms Coloradans in many ways. When someone cannot afford a medical expense and their bill goes to collections, information about that medical debt can be included on their credit report. This, in turn, harms the person’s credit score, creating barriers to getting a loan, renting an apartment, and even getting a job. 

Link to CCA's Capitol Watch to Find your Representative

and Information on the hearing - Website https://coloradocapitolwatch.com/

March 15, 2023 - Wednesday, 7:30AM - 10:00AM

Health Cabinet Affordability Summit

Please register to join Lt. Governor Primavera, Health Cabinet executive directors and industry leaders for the Health Cabinet Affordability Summit hosted by the Department of Health Care Policy & Financing

This FREE virtual event on health care affordability for Coloradans is designed for policy makers, advocates, payers, care providers, health care leaders and other industry stakeholders. The agenda will cover hospital and prescription drug affordability, rural hospital opportunities, value based payments and partnering to Keep Coloradans Covered after the end of the public health emergency. Auxiliary aids and services for individuals with disabilities and language services for individuals whose first language is not English may be provided upon request. Please notify Kelly O'Brien at 303-868-4983 or kelly.obrien@state.co.us or the Civil Rights Officer at hcpf504ada@state.co.us at least one week prior to the meeting to make arrangements.

Register Today

https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_3GmlXaPWSQKg5lXdH4ht9w

Are you a caregiver for a person with dementia who is receiving home care?

If you are a caregiver living approximately 2 or more hours away from your care recipient, you may be eligible to participate in a new research study evaluating the administration of a non-drug intervention designed to help long-distance caregivers of persons with dementia. To learn more, contact the Project Director, Evan Chunga, at 

Richard.Chunga001@umb.edu or contact the Principal Investigator, Dr. 

Verena Cimarolli at vcimarolli@leadingage.org or 202-508-9411.

View Flyer - CLICK HERE

Have you experienced age discrimination when applying for a job?

If you have, and are open to sharing your experiences, the Older Worker Policy Collaborative would love to hear from you! By sharing your story, you'll be helping to support policy change to make Colorado's workplaces fairer for people of all ages. If you're interested in either learning more or speaking with someone, you can sign-up here, and we'll be in touch. Please know that your name, experience, and any identifying information will never be shared without your explicit consent.

Share your story - CLICK HERE

Articles

Colorado lawmakers are investigating why your energy bill is so high

"Colorado legislative leaders announced plans to form a joint select committee to investigate the root causes of rising energy bills on Thursday. The news comes as many Colorado families struggle to pay their heating costs, which have doubled or tripled for some households compared to last year. A state analysis found a colder-than-normal winter and a spike in natural gas prices are the main factors pushing up prices ..."

- READ MORE

Website https://www.cpr.org

Colorado goes analog to boost affordable internet program after just 23% of eligible households join

"An effort to boost awareness of the year-old Affordable Connectivity Program is getting more local after earlier attempts to promote it statewide resulted in just 23% of eligible Colorado households signing up to get up to $30 off their internet bills. To get the rest of the 77% signed up, state officials feel that the campaign needs to go analog and provide help right in local libraries, schools and community centers ..." - READ MORE

Website https://coloradosun.com/

Colorado governor calls for more property tax relief as long-term solution

to rising tax bills remains elusive

"Gov. Jared Polis wants state lawmakers to deliver an additional $200 million in property tax relief over the next two years, bringing the total respite offered by the legislature over that period to $900 million, as Democrats and Republicans debate a long-term solution to rising tax bills resulting from skyrocketing property values across Colorado ..."

- READ MORE

Website https://coloradosun.com

Supporting Older Adults With Approaches Spanning Multiple Policy Areas

"By the end of the decade, 1 in 5 Americans will be 65 or older. In just seven years, all baby boomers will have crossed this age threshold, marking a long-anticipated demographic milestone. This change coincides with a significant shift in the ratio of people of retirement age 65 and over to those of working age, with some estimates expecting a decline from 3.5-to-1 to 2.5-to-1 working-age adults for every older person by 2060. This might create challenges with state and federal resources to support older adults, such as the number of caregivers or funds for home- and community-based services ..." - READ MORE

Website https://www.ncsl.org

Colorado businesses, organizations and government entities spent

nearly $56 million on federal lobbying in 2022

"More than 240 Colorado businesses, organizations and government entities spent nearly $56 million on lobbying at the federal level in 2022. Total spending increased 54% from 2018 to 2022 as Congress responded to the coronavirus pandemic by spending trillions of dollars aimed at keeping the U.S. from economic collapse ..."

- READ MORE

Website https://coloradosun.com

More Older Adults Than Ever Are Taking Multiple Drugs

"At age 84, Elizabeth Thaler of Rochester, New York, was lucky. Her daughter and son-in-law lived nearby and noticed when her memory began to slip, and she became too weak to cook. Soon she stopped getting out of bed. At age 84, Elizabeth Thaler of Rochester, New York, was lucky. Her daughter and son-in-law lived nearby and noticed when her memory began to slip, and she became too weak to cook. Soon she stopped getting out of bed ..." - READ MORE

Website https://www.nextavenue.org/

The Tech Support Chasm -- tough to cross for older adults

"Parks Associates' update this week is illuminating. In offering up a chart and commentary about tech in the ‘connected’ home, note trouble and aggravation. In addition, half of all households reported difficulty in setting up their Wi-Fi network (see Figure 1). Consider the first 3 reasons for returning (installation, learning features, configuring settings). Those reading this blog can look around their own home – noting a Wi-Fi network, smartphone, smart speaker, or in some homes a smart doorbell, thermostat, refrigerator – or a too-smart car ..." - READ MORE

Website https://www.ageinplacetech.com/blog/

Health Care Disruption 2023 Outlook

"The nation’s largest retail, payer and tech disruptors once again invested billions of dollars in health care in 2022, continuing to build out their visions to transform the field. In the short term, these moves helped the companies grab market share in primary care, concierge medicine, virtual care, in-home medical services and elsewhere. In many cases, the investments helped companies broaden their footprints as they continue to integrate their expanding vertical health care operations in areas like pharmacy benefits management, behavioral health, care coordination, diagnostics and therapeutics, and health information technology ..." - READ MORE

Website https://www.aha.org/

Events

February is a time to Celebrate Black History Month

Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history. Learn more at History.com website and The National Museum of African American History and Culture located in Washington, D.C.

Source https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/black-history-month

Source https://nmaahc.si.edu/

February is National Senior Independence Month

"National Senior Independence Month is observed every year in February. This month allows senior citizens and community members to share resources that help the elderly live independent and full lives. Even though with age we tend to become more dependent on those around us, we can continue to live a fairly independent life with local senior centers and retirement organizations helping with resources and building a community of like-minded people. Encourage the elderly you know to engage with senior centers - this allows them to have higher levels of health, social interaction, and life satisfaction ..." - READ MORE

Website https://nationaltoday.com/

February 27, 2023 - Monday, 9:30AM - 11:00AM

CCA Advocacy Committee Meeting via Zoom

There will be a CCA Advocacy Committee Meeting on Monday, February 27, 2023 from 9:30AM to 11:00AM. Newcomers and visitors are welcome - LEARN MORE

Website https://coloradocenterforaging.org/

March 1, 2023 - Wednesday

Disability Rights Advocacy Day at the Capitol (DRAD)

Join Representative Ortiz, along with many community partners throughout the state on Disability Rights Advocacy Day on March 1, 2023. This is a day to bring awareness to many issues facing Coloradans across the state who have disabilities, and to act. There will be a press conference to share a package of bills that relate to accessibility in many areas, and we are looking for people with lived experience to participate and share their stories. The day will also include recognition of the day in both legislative chambers and provide people with disabilities the opportunity to meet with legislators from their area to talk about the issues that matter most to them. Breakfast and Lunch will be provided, and we aim to provide support for transportation if needed. Our goal for this event is to provide people with disabilities the opportunity to get involved and be present where decisions are being made. Questions? Contact Erica Voisine with Disability Law Colorado by email.

Rep Ortiz wants to highlight Bills on Disability Rights Advocacy Day - CLICK HERE

View Event Flyer - CLICK HERE

March 1, 2023 - Wednesday, 12:00PM - 1:00PM

Age Friendly Healthcare: What you can do!

Do you know how ageism - prejudice, stereotyping and discrimination against people based on their age - can impact your health, and what it looks like in our healthcare systems? Join us for a presentation and discussion about how ageism shows up in healthcare. We will share details about the impacts of ageism on your health, and how to become proactive advocates for better healthcare experiences - LEARN MORE

March 6, 2023 - Monday, 9:30AM - 11:00AM

CCA Advocacy Committee Meeting via Zoom

There will be a CCA Advocacy Committee Meeting on Monday, March 6, 2023 from 9:30AM to 11:00AM. Newcomers and visitors are welcome - LEARN MORE

Website https://coloradocenterforaging.org/

March 8, 2023 - Friday - 10:00AM - 11:30AM

Direct Care Workforce Collaborative (DCWC)

Training & Career Advancement Action Group

This Action Group works collaboratively with stakeholders to identify and move forward strategies to support the recruitment and retention of Colorado's direct care workforce. This group intends to meet quarterly on the second Wednesday of the month via Zoom.

Zoom Webinar Link

Meeting ID: ​993 1700 7314 Passcode: 396389

Call-in Option: 1-877-853​-5257

Website Direct Care Workforce Collaborative

March 13, 2023 - Monday, 9:30AM - 11:00AM

CCA Advocacy Committee Meeting via Zoom

There will be a CCA Advocacy Committee Meeting on Monday, March 13, 2023 from 9:30AM to 11:00AM. Newcomers and visitors are welcome - LEARN MORE

Website https://coloradocenterforaging.org/

March 24, 2023 - Friday - 1:00PM - 2:00PM

HOA Forum: Metro/Special Districts And How They Interact With Your Community

The HOA Information & Resource Office will hold a webinar on the sometimes complex relationships between metro/special districts and your communities. Metro/special districts are different than Common Interest Communities, but many unit owners are subject to both. Join Nick Altmann, the HOA Information Officer, for a discussion on the relationship between these organizations on Friday, March 24, 2023 at 1:00 PM (MT).

This is an online webinar only. On behalf of the HOA Information & Resource Center, we look forward to you joining us. All are welcome to attend.

Register for the Event - CLICK HERE

Looking to Sharpen your tech Skills?

Cyber-Seniors provides FREE technology support and training for senior citizens

Founded in 2015 by the creators of the award-winning documentary film CYBER-SENIORS, this non-profit organization provides senior citizens with tech-training using an intergenerational, volunteer model.

Website https://cyberseniors.org/

Live Online Classes for Seniors from Senior Planet

If you’re a senior aged 60 and older, these live online classes are designed just for you! Learn about finance, wellness, fitness, computers and technology, and so much more. You will also find a real community of fellow life-long learners.

Website https://seniorplanet.org/classes/

CCA Advocacy Committee Meetings 2023

The first CCA Advocacy Committee will be meeting every Monday while the legislature is in session. Note that we may not have meetings on certain Federal and State holidays.

If you are not a member of Colorado Center for Aging - Join Today!

Not sure if you are a member? Send us an email - CLICK HERE

Join as an Individual - CLICK HERE
Join as a Supporting Organization - CLICK HERE
Donate to the Colorado Center for Aging - CLICK HERE

Colorado Center for Aging is a 501c3 non-profit organization,

born out of the roots of Colorado Senior Lobby (CSL) - LEARN MORE

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