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Government Affairs
AFAM DAY HABILITATION ALERT
As you know, Senate Ways and Means just released its state budget for next year. Unfortunately, the Day Habilitation Program was slashed by $23 million dollars. Steps are being taken to restore this funding through a budget amendment filed by Senator Joyce. IMMEDIATELY call your Senator at 617-722-2000 and urge your senator to support the amendment which appears below:
Amendment by Sen. Joyce
Day Habilitation Program, Line Item 4000-0700:
The amendment has been filed by Senator Joyce to increase the Senate Ways and Means allocation by $23 million to ensure that day habilitation services will continue at 6 hours per day and prevent them from being reduced to 5 hours per day.
This program serves more than 8500 individuals with developmental disabilities , brain injuries, mental illness and other disabilities.
Any reduction in hours of service would have a devastating impact on families and group homes. The individuals served by Day Habilitation have complex needs and cannot be left alone. If these cuts are made, Group Homes would require additional staffing to cover the lost hour and parents and family members who care for their adult children with disabilities would need to leave work early or make other arrangements.
If enacted, these cuts would be devastating to thousands of Massachusetts families.
Please call today and urge your senator to support Senator Joyce's amendment.
(If you are not sure who your senator is, call your city hall or visit www.wheredoIvotema.com)
You can always see updates at The Arc website, www.arcmass.org by going to the main budget page at the state house/policy section
May 20, 2011
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AFAM SENATE BUDGET ALERT
The Massachusetts Senate Ways and Means just released its state budget for next year. Unfortunately, a number of programs which benefit the autism community saw deep cuts in funding. Steps are being taken to restore this funding through budget amendments. IMMEDIATELY call your Senator at 617-722-2000 and urge your senator to support the amendments which appear below:
Amendment by Sen. Creem
Autism Division, Line Item 5920/3010:
The amendment has been filed by Senator Creem to increase the Senate Ways and Means allocation of $2.5 million to match the House budget of $3 million for the Children's Autism Medicaid Waiver. The Waiver program provides low- income young children with ASD at risk of institutionalization with intensive in-home services (ABA and Floor time). Federal Medicaid dollars will reimburse 50% of the costs, making the requested increase only $250,000.
Amendment by Sen. Rodrigues
Respite/Family Support, Line Item 5920/3000:
The amendment proposed by Senator Rodrigues restores a significant portion of the $14 million in Family Support funding cut by the Senate. This figure is $9 million less than what was proposed by the House. Funding for this program supports the seven autism support centers throughout the Commonwealth. Thousands of families who receive family support use it to pay for respite and community programs for their children and young adults with autism.
Amendment by Sen. Spilka
Day/Employment Program, Line Item 5920-2025:
Senator Spilka's amendment directs $2.7 million to the program. The Senate's current proposal is $1 million less than the House budget. As the number of adults diagnosed with ASD continues to climb, employment services critical to help these adults remain employed, particularly in this economic downturn must be maintained. Absent these supports, jobs will be lost.
Amendment by Sen. Clark
DESE-DDS program, Line Item 5948-0012 and 7061-0012:
Restore funding to $6.5 million for this program that enables families with children with severe disabilities requiring intensive supports to continue to live at home and avoid costly residential placements. The amendment also includes language to direct DESE to spend all of the money as provided. The Senate appropriated $2.5million less than the House appropriation of $6.5 million. Many of the children who receive these services have ASD.
(If you are not sure who your senator is, call your city hall or visit www.wheredoIvotema.com)
May 19, 2011
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MassHealth Proposed Cuts - Hearings Scheduled for late February 2011
Ann Hartstein, Secretary of Elder Affairs, Jean McGuire, EOHHS Assistant Secretary of Disability Services and Policy and Rachel Richards, Director of the MassHealth Office of Long Term Care met with representatives of elder and disability services community. Also present was Elin Howe, DDS Commissioner.
The meeting titled "Secretary's Review" was held to announce cuts in long term care spending in MassHealth. In the introduction, Director Richards noted that it was hoped savings and increased revenue could offset plans for reductions. These reductions were actually authorized in the budget approved by the legislature during the previous session.
Specifically, reductions subject to hearings scheduled in late February and planned for March 15 include:
Day Habilitation |
3.7% |
Day Hab |
Adult Foster Care |
6.2% |
AFC |
Adult Day Health |
7.5% |
ADH |
The cuts would be implemented in the last quarter (April-June) of Fiscal Year 2011 and then be carried into 2012.
The total cuts which are for FY'11 followed by FY'12 include:
Day Habilitation |
$1.3 M & $5 M (M=Million) |
AFC |
$1 M & 4 M |
ADH |
800,000 & 3.3 M |
EOHHS also plans a subsequent reduction in group adult foster care ($1.25M & $5 M). Director Richards noted that administrative burden reductions would accompany the cuts and it is hoped that this will ease the financial impact.
For those interested in seeing the posting on the DHCFP website can go here. The cuts are not necessarily inevitable.
Hearings are scheduled on the following dates for these programs:
AFC |
Boston on February 22, 2011 |
Day hab |
Shrewsbury on February 23, 2011 |
ADH |
Boston on February 24, 2011 |
The Arc and ADDP announced, "Keeping the Promise of Community" last week in light of the 2012 deficit faced by state decision makers.
At the MassHealth meeting they pointed out several factors that weighed against these cuts -
The long term care programs already were behind in terms of adequate funding for costs
The interconnection between these programs and other aspects of the community safety net such as DDS or Elder services
The importance of strengthening community resources (Community First) as the state further decreased nursing home options and state institutions (nursing home utilization is down significantly and successful closure of state schools continues)
Congress approved enhanced FMAP to maintain safety net programs such as these
AFAM will work with the ARC, ADDP, MDHC and our fellow stakeholders such as MFOFC and MASS on these and other proposed cuts. We need to pace our activities as this is the 2nd of a series of reductions that will be proposed. But clearly an organized turnout at the hearings (we'll work with others on 2/22 and 2/23) is essential.
For our community the first shot over the transom for 2012 is the further proposed eligibility change for early intervention announced on The Arc website today. See related story.
Additionally Gary Blumenthal and Leo Sarkissian have requested a meeting with the Governor to ask him to consider his strong Community First legacy.
Hearings are scheduled for February 22nd and 23rd. More information will follow.
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The 2010 Elections
Massachusetts: Holding Steady
The Nation: Reshuffling, Recalibration, Recommitment
Advocates for Autism of Massachusetts (AFAM) would like to congratulate the winners and to thank all the candidates who put themselves forward and ran spirited races across the state. As we all know, Massachusetts marches to "its own drummer", which makes most of us proud, and some of us frustrated. And now it's time to go back to work on common ground.
AFAM cannot in its role endorse or take a positive role in favor of candidates in elections (although we can endorse or reject ballot questions). Many friends of AFAM were re-elected including leaders who have carried amendments or spoke on caucus debates including Fred Berry, Therese Murray, Karen Spilka, Tom Sannicandro, Alice Peisch, Peter Koutoujian, Carolyn Dykema, and Gale Candaras. Catherine Clark has won Richard Tisei's Senate seat and we hope she will continue support of our issues as she did in the House.
The entire advocacy community welcomes the re-election of these old friends in the legislature, and looks forward to working cooperatively with them again, and welcomes our new representatives and senators as well.
We are saddened to learn of the defeat of Rep. Barbara L'Italien, who has served as a leader in the legislature as Vice-Chair of House Ways and Means. In that role she served on budget conference committees, and has been a consistent and inspirational political leader in our field. This is a significant loss for our community. In addition, we lost another friend and ally in the defeat of Rep. Paul Kujawski, who played a key role in advocacy.
At the national level, we are in for significant change. In both the House and Senate, there will be many new faces, and in the House a leadership change. There will be a reshuffling of seniority and committee chairs, and the next few months will be ones of speculation about the new Congress and theories about how the "power" dynamic of Washington DC will be recalibrated in January. Who wins, who loses, how will the philosophy of the Tea Party be expressed in Congress?
For our community, this is a time for a recommitment to our core values and guiding principles---
- that disability is natural;
- that we continue to move toward self-direction of supports;
- that individuals and families are the most important stakeholders; and
- that a 21st century paradigm of strengthened integration of services and supports, and education and employment opportunity, is our new baseline.
These are principles that can cross the political aisle because they are not just matters of budget line items and size of state agencies. They are an expression of the new emancipation of the disability community, seeking family empowerment, individual growth and independence, desire to work and learn, to live integrated lives.
With your help and commitment, we look forward to an exciting and productive 2011.
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The Governor’s Budget for Fiscal Year 2011 (House 2 version)
Tough Economic Picture Continues to Hurt Disability Services
What will happen to individuals served and safety net?
$800 million was reduced in gross cuts from the state budget and a $40M cut is reflected in the DDS budget inclusive of annualizing the earlier 9C cuts this year. The Governor and his team had to address a $2.7 Billion gap. This gap was addressed by the cut noted, $1.4 Billion in Federal Revenue, $489 million in one time solutions and $200 millionin new revenue (candy and soda tax exemption ended).
In MassHealth, the PCA and Day habilitation programs have no reductions while the adult dental program is reduced with an exception for those served through DDS. This is a problem for anyone that is not a consumer at DDS. There are no further cuts in Early Intervention (EI) services, but there are cuts in a number of MRC (Mass. Rehabilitation Commission) accounts. EI will need $2M to address increasing census, and $8 Million in cost savings/sharing to not cut more infants and toddlers out of services.
The Governor’s budget consolidates accounts again. Our budget chart tracks the figures in the accounts. Like last year, in DDS, residential accounts are combined except for state institution while a community programs consolidation includes day/work, family support and transportation. This is true of other agencies as well.
The cuts at DDS are significant and they affect the following line-items: residential, day/work, family support and transportation. In addition all savings from State Facilities ($9M) were taken out of DDS budget. These $$ could have lessened community cuts. Residential cuts are in both private and state systems. Additionally, the administration at DDS is reduced. Residential cuts total $23M ($17.8 M in Comm. Resid. & $4.9M in state operated). These are devastating for two reasons.
There is not enough money for students Turning 22 this past year who will need full funding for 2011 (Turning 22 reflects those whose special education funding has ended and need adult services). Also this will close the door to almost all who need emergency services, those Turning 22 in the coming year, and those leaving institutions. In FY10 and FY11, more than 1,200 students have/will graduate and need T22 services, with more than 400 needing residential supports (all request some type of day/work and the remainder also need in-home support). As a rule, 25-30% of those needing residential have no family involved.
The cut in the Day/work account is $6.9M, which comes on top of significant FY2010 cuts (see chart). 50% of this amount is related to those Turning 22. Family Support is reduced by $1.5M. On top of $10M last year, the FS cut will especially hurt families depending on vouchers, respite and other resources. This means that adults living at home with family members or semi-independently will lose services whether they are Turning 22 or are older. In many of these cases the family is the main support and they have their jobs and other responsibilities. The Day/Work or Family support plays a key part in the individual and family members’ daily routines. Adding to these cuts is a $400,000 reduction in Transportation.
Last but not least the DESE-DDS program which provides a way for families to avoid placing their child in residential school is once again slashed by DESE (Dept. of Elementary and Secondary Education). This account once operated at $8M, but is now under $3M.
Governor Patrick has given us a clear commitment that "restoring these funds are a priority during the budget process if revenue increases.” This commitment is essential to us. We need to reach out to our friends in the legislature to restore these cuts. We want to remind readers that a sales tax question probably will be on the November ballot. If passed, over $2 Billion will be lost in state revenue. As we noted above the present cuts reflected addressing a $2.7 B gap.
Additionally, Speaker DeLeo has stated that there will be no new taxes. If the exemption remains for soda and candy, then $200M of the proposed fix for the budget gap will be gone. We will work with the legislature and administration to restore our funds regardless of the differences in strategy that they may employ.
At MRC, there are cuts in 4 accounts although Turning 22 was funded at the agency at $810,000. We are especially concerned about employment (4120-3000) with loss of $535,000 and home care (Home maker) account, (4120-5000) where a $1.1M cut ($1.5M including 9C impact) will affect all 1400 recipients, many of whom cannot qualify for MassHealth.
Our job 1 will be to convince our friends in the legislature that these (and potentially other not yet known in disability services) cuts are not sustainable. We were potentially open to deeper cuts but the administration has decided to utilize FMAP increase. We support them on this move. We have heard from friends at the National Council of State Legislatures and some of our colleagues that additional FMAP funds will move ahead.
Please see our budget chart below for more details. Letters will be up today at our action center. This report will be followed by an action alert. To review government affairs reports and charts, go to arcmass.org and choose the main budget page or state house/policy.
Governor's FY11 Budget Proposal Chart *
* see budget in a larger size
Notes
New Line Item & Name - The Governor's budget proposes consolidating several line-items and creating one entirely new line item (5920-2002)
Residential and State-Operated Programs (5920-2000) - FY11 House2 appears larger than FY09 but is not. In the Governor's proposal, this line-item also covers T22 ($14+Million and Rolland annualization ($9.1 million), which it previously did not.Therefore, level funding this line-itme would require $867,928,240. State Facilities lost $9M in savings that could have been used to lessen cuts.
Turning 22 (5920-5000) - $17.6 milion of critical second-year funding (annualization) for Turning 22 students has been folded into two other consolidated line-items ((5911-2000 and 5920-2000). This is positive, but makes it appear that these line-items are bigger than they actually are. DDS estimates that 635 students will be graduating and in need of T22 services in FY11, larger than previous years.
MassHealth Dental Services - These services have been cut, but an agreement was reached to exempt people served by DDS. Still a problem
Early Intervention includes both retained revenue and line item funds. Not reflected in chart. $2 Million plus retained revenue is needed and $8M in cost savings or sharing.
Mass. Rehab. Commission - In Gov's proposal, 4120-3000 and 4120-5000 have been folded into a consolidated 4120-1000, a $21,207,713 line-itme that now includes employment, homecare, independent living assistance, turning 22 in addition to MRC admin.
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