This Senate committee considers and vets bills that would affect government agencies, including those on aging as well as veterans affairs, before the bills go to the full upper house.

The Protection and Advocacy Project is a state agency whose purpose is to advocate for and protect the rights of people with disabilities. The project can give information about rights and what can be done to enforce those rights. The Protection and Advocacy Project has programs to serve people with developmental disabilities, mental illness and other types of disabilities. All services are free to qualified individuals. There is a protection and advocacy system for people with disabilities in each state and territory. Legislation establishing this system was passed by Congress in 1975.

This House committee considers and vets bills that would affect the Department of Human Services before the bills go to the full lower house.

This Senate committee considers and vets bills that would affect the Department of Human Services before the bills go to the full upper house.

This House committee considers and vets bills that would affect government agencies, including those on aging as well as veterans affairs, before the bills go to the full lower house.

The Consumer Assistance Division assists Medicare beneficiaries. This division operates the State Health Insurance Counseling program to assist consumers with Medicare questions. Also within the Consumer Assistance Division is Prescription Connection, a program that connects qualified people of all ages with discount drugs, direct from the manufacturer. People who are currently taking prescription medication and do not qualify for other prescription drug assistance may be eligible for this assistance. This division also runs the State Health Insurance Counseling (SHIC) Program, which works with trained volunteers throughout the state to help senior citizens with questions about Medicare and related health insurance policies. More than 90 volunteers around the state are trained to help North Dakota seniors with questions regarding Medicare, Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) and long-term care insurance.

The North Dakota Insurance Department, established in 1889, is a state regulatory agency headed by the insurance commissioner, an elected position. It regulates and licenses insurance companies and agents in the state and assists consumers with questions and complaints regarding insurance. The department has two locations in Bismarck. The department employs about 45 full-time employees, of which 34 are dedicated to insurance regulation.

The North Dakota Department of Human Services provides services that help vulnerable North Dakotans of all ages to maintain or enhance their quality of life, which may be threatened by lack of financial resources, emotional crises, disabling conditions or an inability to protect themselves. The division supports the provision of services and care as close to home as possible to maximize each person's independence while preserving the dignity of all individuals and respecting their constitutional and civil rights. The department oversees: Medicaid; the Children's Health Insurance Program (Healthy Steps); economic assistance programs, including child care assistance, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program; Child Support Enforcement; aging services; child welfare services, including child protection, family preservation services, foster care and adoption; vocational rehabilitation; developmental disabilities services; mental health services; substance abuse services; and field services, including the state hospital, the Developmental Center, and the eight regional human service centers.

The Legal, Fraud, Investigations and Enforcement Division works with the investigators in the department to enforce the laws applicable to insurance agents and insurance companies doing business in the state. If the results of the investigation warrant it, the Legal and Enforcement Division is responsible for bringing administrative actions against insurance companies and agents and for handling the appeal of any action. The division also drafts all legislation and administrative rules proposed by the Insurance Department. Finally, the division advises department staff about laws, administrative rules and the implementation of agency policy.

The Department of Human Services administers programs and services that help older adults and people with physical disabilities to live safely and productively in the least- restrictive, most appropriate setting. Programs and services funded by the division include home-delivered meals; senior meals; health screenings and outreach services; the Family Caregiver Support Program; vulnerable adult protective services; and the Aging and Disability Resource LINK, an online (http://www.carechoice.nd.gov) and phone resource to help seniors and people with physical disabilities find needed services. The division is also responsible for: the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program; guardianship services for vulnerable adults; the Senior Community Services Employment Program; distribution of telecommunications equipment and assistive equipment; and licensing of adult family foster care.

This Senate committee considers and vets bills that would regulate the insurance industry for North Dakota's upper house.

This House committee considers and vets bills that would regulate the insurance industry for North Dakota's lower house.

The Governor’s Committee on Aging is one of many committees and taskforces under the jurisdiction of the governor’s office. The committee on aging is an advisory committee composed of 13 voting members and one nonvoting member. The committee also acts as an advisory body for the Aging Services Division of the North Dakota Department of Human Services.

The North Dakota Hospital Association (NDHA) is a voluntary trade organization of North Dakota's licensed hospitals committed to advancing public policy and fostering excellence in medical and health services. The NDHA supported the Frontier States amendment in the health care reform bill that increased the Medicare wage index for North Dakota and similar rural states.

Easter Seals offers services on behalf of the elderly and people with disabilities. Among their services are respite care, advocacy, supportive home care and individualized supportive living arrangements. Not all services are offered at all North Dakota locations.

Legal Services of North Dakota (LSND) provides civil legal assistance to the elderly and poor throughout North Dakota. LSND acts as an advocate for socially and economically disadvantaged elderly who have problems in areas critical to life-sustaining needs, and also provides advice, community/legal education and training. Policy advocacy is conducted as allowed by law.

Dakota Plains Legal Services provides free legal assistance to eligible residents of Sioux County and the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. Services provided include: advocacy; housing; insurance-related issues; and legal assistance.

AARP, formerly the American Association of Retired Persons, is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization with a membership that advocates for people ages 50 and older. Since 1958, AARP has lobbied for senior issues, including the passage of Medicare in 1965. AARP offers support from staffed offices in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) were established under the Older Americans Act (OAA) Comprehensive Services Amendments in 1973 to respond to the needs of Americans 60 and older in every local community. The amendments added a new Title V, which authorized grants to local community agencies in every state. The AAAs provide a range of options that allow older adults to choose the home- and community-based services and living arrangements that suit them best. North Dakota has just one Area Agency on Aging to cover the entire state.

The State Health Insurance Counseling (SHIC) program, called the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) in many other states, is part of a national program that offers counseling and assistance to people with Medicare and to their families. Coordinators provide counseling on Medicare benefits, Medicare Prescription Drug Plans (Part D), Social Security, Medicaid and veterans' benefits. SHIP, formerly the Information, Counseling and Assistance (ICA) grants program, was created under section 4360 of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990. This act authorized the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to make grants to states for health advisory services programs for people with Medicare.

The Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) program helps Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries avoid, detect and prevent health care fraud. The goal is to protect older people and to preserve the integrity of the Medicare and Medicaid programs. The federal program was created in 1996 by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and amended in 2006 by Titles II and IV of the Older Americans Act.

Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs) are private, mostly not-for-profit organizations, staffed by doctors and other health care professionals who are trained to review medical care, to help beneficiaries with complaints about the quality of care and to implement improvements in the quality of care available throughout the spectrum of care. QIOs are required under Sections 1152-1154 of the Social Security Act.

The long-term care ombudsman advocates for residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities. The office resolves complaints and educates seniors and long-term care providers about their rights and good care practices. The ombudsman also provides information to the public on nursing homes and other long-term care facilities and services, residents' rights, and legislative and policy issues. In 1978, an amendment to the federal Older Americans Act required every state to have an ombudsman program that addresses complaints and advocates for improvements in the long-term care system. The ombudsman program is administered by the Administration on Aging (AoA). The Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program was established in North Dakota in 1983.

Dave Molmen serves as CEO of Altru Health System. Previously, he was its chief operating officer. He holds bachelor’s degrees in health care, finance and psychology from Concordia Moorhead, and an M.P.H. from the University of Minnesota.

Gary P. Miller joined St. Alexius Medical Center in 1984 as director of fiscal and information systems. In 1988, he became chief financial officer at St. Alexius. He also served as senior vice president and chief financial officer before he was named president and CEO in 2011. He earned one bachelor’s degree in political science and one in accounting from Moorhead State University in Minnesota.