February 2008
I was in Sacramento last week doing legislative visits about several cuts that the Governor has proposed in his State Budget. As I was navigating the halls of the Capitol Building, I kept thinking about how the legislative staffers were acting as if they’ve heard it all before. It was as if they were reciting from the script to a very boring T.V. show. “Yes, we care about people with disabilities…Yes, we know what these cuts will mean to them…No, we can’t commit to safeguarding any programs or any kind of increase in revenue.”
The Governor declared a fiscal emergency last month and gave the Legislature 45 days to respond to his proposal. The Legislature agreed to a ten percent cut to Medi-Cal provider rates effective as of July 1 2008. Additional cuts to the In Home Supportive Services program and Medi-Cal Optional Benefits are proposed for the 08-09 budget year. Here’s a run down on the proposed cuts for those of you who may have missed it. For an analysis of the Governor’s Budget Proposal visit the California Budget Project web site at www.cbp.org
Medi-Cal
- A reduction in payments to Medi-Cal providers by 10%
- Elimination of adult dental benefits and other benefits including acupuncture, audiology, optometry, optical, chiropractic, podiatry, psychology, speech therapy and incontinence creams and washes.
In Home Supportive Services (IHSS)
- An 18% cut to hours for IHSS domestic services including meal preparation, laundry, shopping and errands
- A 10 % cut in the funds that Counties receive to run this program
I think that recipients of these programs should be angry that their elected officials have reduced their health and safety to the level of a tired old sitcom that just keeps playing over and over again. Is a person with a disability being institutionalized because of inadequate home care, just another day at the office? My answer is NO! Is adult dental care for Medi-Cal recipients really optional? I don’t think so.
I know many of you out there have incredibly meaningful stories to tell about how these cuts will impact you. I’m encouraging you to take your policymakers to task. Join the CCCIL Budget Cuts Story Bank to participate in legislative visits, media interviews, and other events to fight these cuts. Write Letters to the Editor of your local papers to highlight this issue for the community. You can make this real for them and make a real difference in the process. Contact me today about the CCCIL Budget Cuts Story Bank. Call (831) 757-2968 or email ddallimore@cccil.org.