Legislators fail to agree to Budget Compromise IHSS spared for now
November 25, 2008: The Assembly and Senate held hearings today on a mid-year budget package proposal [link] that included $8.1 billion in cuts and $8.1 billion in revenues. The proposal did not include any cuts to IHSS, nor did it include a hard spending cap proposal which would result in drastic cuts to education, health and human services as well as other programs. Republicans in the Assembly and Senate rejected the proposed revenue package so the budget vote failed. Responsibility for fixing California’s growing budget deficit will now go to the new class of legislators being sworn in on December 1st.
Governor Schwarzenegger proposes more Cuts to IHSS, Medi-Cal and other programs
Governor Schwarzenegger called for a special session on Thursday, November 6th to address new concerns over California’s growing budget deficit expected to rise to $11.2 billion in 2008-09. The Governor proposed an additional $4.5 billion in cuts to critical health and human services including the same previously rejected proposals to In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) and Medi-Cal.
The Governor in his November “Revise” proposed once again to:
- Reduce optional benefits under Medi-Cal including for example: adult dental, chiropractic, incontinence creams and washes, acupuncture, audiology, podiatry.
- Slash the state’s contribution to IHSS provider wages and benefits to the minimum wage of $8 an hour. The Governor’s proposal will impact approximately 398,000 IHSS providers who currently make more than $8 an hour, by cutting the state’s portion of those wages. Lower wages will result in a decrease in the availability of experienced providers and will create gaps in critical services for seniors and persons with disabilities.
- Eliminate domestic services for less-disabled consumers of IHSS. “Domestic and related services” include preparing food, doing laundry, cleaning, dusting, changing linens, taking out garbage, grocery shopping, planning menus, setting a table and washing and putting dishes away. These services are critical for IHSS recipients to be able to live safely in their own homes. If the Governor’s proposal goes through, California’s elderly and disabled will face deeper challenges to living independently.
- Eliminate the state’s Medi-Cal share of cost for individuals with a functional index score below four. Approximately 7,100 IHSS recipients would be required to pay a new monthly share of cost averaging $427 out of their own pockets. This proposal further impoverishes consumers who would face a much higher obligation to pay for personal care services. If these IHSS consumers can’t afford the cost, they lose homecare services.
The In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program is a statewide public program that serves over 429,000 seniors and people with disabilities in California. The IHSS program provides essential personal care and domestic services to aged, blind or disabled Californians who are unable to remain safely in their own homes without such assistance. The IHSS program is a budget solution, not a budget problem! Alternative forms of care such as nursing homes cost six to eight times more than IHSS.
SEIU-United Healthcare Workers (UHW) - West which represents over 65,000 homecare workers in: Amador, Calaveras, Contra Costa, Fresno, Marin, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Joaquin, Sonoma, Yolo and Yuba counties is strongly committed to working with legislators who will stand up for reasonable budget solutions.
What you can do to oppose the proposed cuts:
