Culver wants scams against elderly Iowans reported

Gov. Chet Culver proposed Tuesday requiring financial institutions to be mandatory reporters of consumer fraud schemes targeting elderly Iowans as victims.

Culver, a first-term Democrat facing a tough re-election battle with former Republican Gov. Terry Branstad in the Nov. 2 general election, said he planned to propose the new reporting requirement to the Legislature next session designed to provide a strong incentive to banks and other financial institutions that make it easier to catch and prevent financial abuse.

“I'm very passionate about marking sure that our senior citizens are treated with the respect and dignity that they deserve and if anybody tries to take advantage of them, there will be a price to pay and a severe penalty,” Culver said during a segment of “A conversation on Aging” taped by Iowa Public Television in conjunction with Iowa's AARP chapter to be aired Friday at 8:30 p.m. A separate segment with Branstad will be taped on Wednesday as part of the hour-long TV program.

“It just breaks my heart to know that we have senior citizens in our state and across America that are being exploited,” Culver said in comments on the IPTV show and to reporters after the taping. “We're going to have zero tolerance in terms of things like predatory lending with respect to seniors. Any senior who has been exploited and taken advantage of, we're going to require Iowa financial institutions to report those cases – for example, credit card abuse or predatory lending – we're going to require Iowa financial institutions to report those cases to local law enforcement so that we can hold any and all of those predatory lenders accountable.”

Culver also proposed expanding the property tax credit for elderly Iowans from $23 million to $30 million and expanding eligibility so older residents have the resources they need to pay their bills and stay in their homes longer.

He also called for creating a Geriatric Care Advisory Council to look at senior care in Iowa, provide recommendations on how to improve it, and give seniors a stronger voice in state government. The governor also wants to close “the assisted living loophole” so assisted living centers cannot decertify their programs if they are in reality still assisted living facilities, and put the care of Iowans in these facilities at risk; expand the home- and community-based services waiver, which has already received increased funding under the Culver Administration, to help Iowans stay in their homes longer; and to improve medical care for seniors by making serious preventable medical error data public, thereby helping to maintain a high quality and safe medical system.

“Older Iowans are the ones who built this state, and our Iowa values dictate that we must do all we can to ensure they live long, happy, and healthy lives,” Culver said. “I am proud of the work I have done as governor protect our seniors, and in my second term, we will do even more to ensure they can live in their homes longer, have financial security, and stay healthy as long as possible. I have fought hard for Iowa's seniors, and look forward to continuing that work in the next four years.”