Housing (Seniors)

HB 1138, known as the Aging With Dignity Act, aims to improve long-term care for older North Carolinians by prioritizing home-based services over institutional care for Medicaid beneficiaries aged 55 and older. The bill mandates that institutional placement be the exception rather than the rule, requiring documented medical justification and regular reassessments to ensure individuals remain in the most integrated setting possible. It also establishes a requirement for periodic medication reviews to prevent adverse drug interactions and reduce hospitalizations, while integrating behavioral health services into geriatric care plans. Additionally, the legislation appropriates funds for strategic investments in the state's aging infrastructure and reestablishes a study commission to address the needs of the growing senior population.

SB 798 creates a new property tax relief program for North Carolina residents who are at least 65 years old and have lived in their home for at least five years. The bill allows these qualifying owners to defer paying the portion of their property tax bill that results from increases in the home's appraised value, using the home's value from the first year of the program as a baseline. This deferral acts as a lien on the property, meaning the unpaid taxes accumulate and become due only if the owner sells the home, dies, or stops living there permanently. The legislation also clarifies that married couples can share the benefit even if only one spouse meets the age and residency requirements, while prohibiting lenders from stopping owners from using this tax relief. The changes are scheduled to take effect for tax years beginning on or after July 1, 2027.