STATEHOUSE –State Representative Rebecca Kubacki (R-Syracuse) received the 2014 Indiana Association of Area Agencies on Aging Legislative Champion Award this week.

“Providing assistance to our parents and grandparents – the people who took care of us for so many years – is a priority to me as a legislator,” said Rep. Kubacki. “I am honored and humbled to receive this award and look forward to continuing my work to better aid the ones that raised us.”

IAAAA is a nonprofit organization that was founded in 1978. IAAAA believes in individual’s right to choose among health care alternatives to maintain independence and dignity, practice healthy lifestyles to have a happier, healthier and longer life, and to be educated about services and alternatives available.

Rep. Kubacki was recognized for her efforts in co-authoring House Enrolled Act 1391, which makes updates to the Community and Home Options to Institutional Care for the Elderly and Disabled program and eases the burdens of elderly people at risk of losing their independence.

The C.H.O.I.C.E. program provides case management services, assessment and in-home and community services to individuals at least 60 years of age or those with a disability. In order to be a member of this program, one must be eligible for Medicaid. Unfortunately, Medicaid services do not cover all the needs that someone who is part of the program may require, such as in-home assistance. The CHOICE program aims to close the gap that Medicaid is unable to fill. This program is an early preventative approach that is based on the individual needs of members.

“It is essential that we keep looking at state statute to ensure that we are doing our best to help Hoosiers,” said Rep. Kubacki. “We want to make Indiana more effective and improve on past successes. By modernizing this legislation, we are creating a more sensible law that allows Indiana to better aid the individuals under this program as well as increasing the amount of individuals that are eligible.”