ACTION SENIORS: Al Johns

     Elected officials, whether at federal, state or local levels of government, generally are well-intentioned when submitting bills they hope to have enacted into law.
      Some of the legislation is necessary, makes sense and can fulfill its mission on an economically sound basis.
      There also is legislation, which on the surface seems OK, but upon closer study falls into the category of "pork barreling" or is so cumbersome that if enacted it would become an administrative nightmare, possibly even destroying a program already in place.
      Now back from a few days in Carson City, I learned of two bills with diametrically opposite potentials if passed. One is sorely needed for hospice care to those on Medicaid.
      Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas, introduced Senate Bill 209, which would permit state Medicaid funds to be used for hospice care.
      Medicare currently provides coverage for hospice care, but Nevada is one of only five states that does not have a hospice benefit for Medicaid patients.
      Titus said the bill is both a cost-saving and humanitarian measure. "A national study indicates that for every dollar Medicare spent on hospice users from the state of Nevada, it saved $1.63 in Part A and B expenditures," she noted.
      "Such savings would be particularly beneficial to Nevada's Medicaid fund with our future level of matching federal funds in doubt," Titus added.
      Legislation that fits the category of well-intentioned but represents a disaster in the making is Assembly Bill 142. It calls for the fingerprinting and FBI investigation of everyone who volunteers in a school or facility serving children to determine whether the person has ever been convicted of child molestation.
      Child molesters are already known to the police once they have been convicted. Can you imagine the costs and bureaucratic nightmare of fingerprinting and investigating the thousands of volunteers who work for the Clark County School District?
      Not only would the cost of the fingerprinting and investigative work be huge, but what affect would such a law have on discouraging people from volunteering? It would not help discover the few would-be child molesters who have never been charged with such a crime. Furthermore, teachers are present with volunteers and children.
      Should you wish to make your desires known on these bills or any other state legislation, the names and districts of Nevada's 63 legislators appear on Page 26 of the local telephone directory. The telephone number of the Legislative Counsel Bureau in Carson City is 702-687-6800.
      -- Saving Social Security and Medicare are the subjects of a meeting sponsored by the American National Notch Association at 10 a.m. Monday at the Showboat, 2600 S. Fremont St.
      -- Developing an ultralight monorail system for the Las Vegas metropolitan area at far less cost than continued freeway expansion will be one of the topics discussed at the monthly meeting of the Nevada Seniors Coalition at 10 a.m. Thursday at the Showboat, 2600 S. Fremont St. The meeting is open to the public. For further information, call 878-7958 or 737-1377.
      -- Nevada legislators are being asked to appropriate about $200,000 to fund what the Senior Suicide Prevention Task Force calls an important program requiring added outreach resources. Edward M. Atchison leads the task force. His phone number is 386-4084 or 386-3559 for messages.