CDCAN
ALERT
California
Disability Community Action Network
Advocacy Without
Borders:
News Impacting People With Disabilities,
Mental Health Needs, Seniors
Goes out to over 45,000 people,
organizations, policy makers across California
Marty Omoto - martyomoto@rcip.com
website: www.cdcan.us
ALERT #2008-02 February
1, 2008 - Friday afternoon
REMEMBERING ADAM MARSHALL AND JULIE
GUZMAN
ADVOCACY IS ALWAYS ABOUT PEOPLE
ACTION NEEDED FEB 4,
2008
Decisions are made by
those who "show up".
Show up and provide brief
comments on Governor's proposed major cuts to Medi-Cal, Regional
Centers, Mental Health, Healthy Families
February 4, 2008 -
Monday 1:00 PM
Senate Budget &
Fiscal Review Committee
State Capitol - Room 4203
With California facing an
enormous budget deficit of over $14.5 billion, Governor Arnold
Schwarzenegger has proposed billions of dollars of spending cuts
across the board, including over a $1 billion of cuts in Medi-Cal
alone.
Many of these proposed
cuts would be permanent, some taking effect as early as June 1, 2008
if the Legislature approves it. Other cuts could be proposed
when the Governor releases his revised proposed budget in May
(called the "May Revise").
Proposed cuts that the
Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee will be hearing on Feb 4:
MEDI-CAL PROPOSED CUTS
Some of the major proposed cuts to the Medi-Cal Program
that will be heard at the February 4th hearing:
Proposal to restore required quarterly status reports
for children and adults (failure to return reports would mean the
adult and any of their children on Medi-Cal would lose eligibility,
though they could seek reinstatement)
Proposal to permanently eliminate payment of Medicare
Part B premiums for people also on Medi-Cal share of cost
Proposal for the permanent elimination of several Medi-Cal
"optional benefits" for adults to be effective, if
approved, by June 1, 2008 as follows:
* Acupuncture Services for Adults (includes treatment
for pain syndromes and other medical conditions)
* Adult Dental services
* Audiology Services for adults (including screening,
diagnostic evaluations, hearing aid evaluations and hearing
therapy)
* Incontinence Creams and Washes for Adults
* Chiropractor Services for Adults
* Optometry Services (includes eye examinations, and
eyeglasses and diagnostic and related procedures to protect the
health of a person's eyes; medically necessary low vision aids and
prosthetic eye services for the visually impaired);
* Optician and Optical Laboratory services for adults
(used to prescribe, dispense and make eyeglasses
* Podiatry Services for Adults (includes medical and
surgical services by a podiatrist needed to treat disorders of a
person's feet, ankles or tendons of the foot .)
* Psychology Services for Adults (includes services
provided by or under supervision of a licensed psychologist)
* Speech Therapy (including language evaluation, speech evaluation,
therapy, and speech generating device assessments
Proposal for a permanent Medi-Cal provider 10% rate
reduction for both "fee for service" (Medi-Cal doctors
that a person selects) and managed care plans, to be
effective if approved, by July 1, 2008.
Proposal to Reduce by 10% Medi-Cal reimbursements to
certain Long Term Care Facilities and programs (including
District-Part facilities that are part of hospitals, Nursing
Facilities-Level A, Adult Day Health Centers, Hospice, rural swing
beds, subacute facilities and pediatric subacute facilities, to be
effective, if approved by July 1, 2008
Proposal to reduce by 10% payments for private
hospitals, district hospitals, "non-contract" hospitals,
California Children's Services providers, Genetically Handicapped
Persons Program (GHPP) providers, to be effective, if approved, by
July 1, 2008
Proposal to Reduce Funding for Clinc Programs by 10%
(includes Seasonal, Agricultural and Migratory Workers or SAMW
clinics, Indian Health clinics, Rural Health Service clinics,
Expanded Access to Primary Care clinics, Grants-In-Aid to clinics,
to be effective, if approved, by July 1, 2008
HEALTHY FAMILIES PROPOSED CUTS
Some of the proposed cuts to the Healthy Families
Program that will be heard on February 4th:
Proposal to reduce by 5% the rates paid to plans
participating in the Healthy Families Program, and an annual
benefit limit for dental coverage in the program of $1,000.
Proposal to increase Healthy Families costs (premiums)
to persons enrolled (no change for persons 100-150% of the federal
poverty level; but would increase from $9 to $16 per child per month
for families 151 to 200% over the federal poverty level, with family
maximum amount increased from $27 to $48 per month. Would
increase from $15 per child per month to $19 for families over 200%
of the federal poverty level, and increase the maximum premiums for
those families from $45 to $57 per month.
MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
Some of the major proposed cuts to mental health
services that will be heard on February 4th:
Proposal to reduce by 5%, effective as of March 1, 2008,
schedule of maximum allowances for the Early and Periodic Screening,
Diagnosis and Treatment (EPSDT) Program that serves children with
mental health needs, including many with other disabilities
Proposal to eliminate the cost of living increase for
this program for the current year State budget and also for the
2008-2009 State Budget.
Proposal that would require a 6 month reauthorization
by Day Treatment providers for a child, and proposal requiring that
costs be reduced per client.
Proposal to reduce the state funding to county mental
health plans for services under Medi-Cal Mental Health Managed Care
Program of $16 million ($7.8 million of that federal funds) in the
current budget year and another $46.7 million in the 2008-2009 State
Budget year.
Proposal to eliminate the Community Treatment Facilities
(CTF) Supplemental Rate, effective March 1, 2008 if approved by the
Legislature.
Proposal to reduce by 10% funding to Caregiver Resource
Centers who provide assistance to about 13,000 families caring for
adult family members in their homes, effective March 1, 2008 if
approved by the Legislature.
REGIONAL CENTERS & DEVELOPMENTAL
CENTERS:
Some of the major cuts proposed that need approval
before March 1 in order to take effect immediately on July 1, 2008
include that will be heard on February 4th:
Proposal to make permanent and expand the Family Cost
Participation Program by requiring parents with children with
developmental disabilities under age of 3 years (and living at home)
to pay a share of cost for day care, respite and camping services,
and assessing a higher share of cost on parents with children with
developmental disabilities whose incomes are above 400% of the
federal poverty level, using a sliding scale, for respite, child day
care and camping services.
Proposal to make permanent, effective July 1, 2008, the
various "cost containment" measures on regional center
operations budget and the budget that funds community-based programs
("purchase of services") for a total reduction of $329.7
million ($228 million in state funds).
These measures - once considered "temporary"
include
* freezing non-community placement program start-ups;
* freeze rates for day programs, work activity programs
and in-home respite programs;
* freeze rates for community care facilities and
eliminate the SSI/SSP pass through;
* freeze regional center rates for contract services;
* freeze rates for habilitation services (supported
employment program & work activity program);
* continue the delay from 60 to 120 days for intake and
assessment,
* continue caseload ratio of 1 to 62 to 1 to 66 persons
per service coordinator.
* The narrowed eligibility for services would also
remain in place.
Proposal to reduce by 10% Regional Center community
placement plan operations in the current State budget and also in
the 2008-2009 budget.
Proposal to reduce by 10% funding for client rights
advocacy at the Developmental Centers
Proposal to reduce by 10% the rates to the Supported
Employment Program (reduces job coaching rates from $34.24 per hour
to $30.82 per hour) effective July 1, 2008 if approved by the
Legislature.
OTHER PROPOSED CUTS ALREADY HEARD (NOT
YET ACTED ON)
* Proposed permanent 18% reduction in non-medical
domestic and related hours for In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) to
take effect July 1, 2008 for everyone
* Proposal to eliminate the cost of living increases
scheduled for June 2008 and June 2009 for the SSP part of the
SSI/SSP grants to lowest income persons with disabilities, seniors
and the blind (the federal increase however will be passed through
to recipients, including the one that went into effect January 2008
and also next January 2009) (same reduction for the CAPI
program - Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants that serve
thousands of persons with disabilities, seniors and the blind who
are documented and legal immigrants but who do not qualify for
SSI/SSP)
* Proposal for 10% rate reductions to foster care and
adoption assistance programs that impact thousands of children with
special needs, disabilities and their families and providers
* Cuts proposed to the CalWORKS program - that impact
thousands of families who have children with special needs or whose
parents have special needs and disabilities
* Proposed cuts to many senior programs under the
Department of Aging. Major Proposed cuts to Adult Protective
Services.,
* Proposed cuts to education that would have major
impact to special education
SOME QUESTIONS ANSWERED ABOUT THE HEARING
AND MORE
Q.: Should people with disabilities, seniors, people with
mental health needs, family members and support workers come to this
hearing on February 4th?
CDCAN: Yes, given the serious impact of
the cuts - that are on top of proposed cuts to In-Home
Supportive Services, Adult Protective Services, SSI/SSP, special
education, senior programs, foster care and adoption assistance
programs that impact children with special needs. If people
can travel - especially those within the Sacramento area, they
should come to the hearing and show up and speak (briefly) during
the time for public testimony. There
will be other hearings in March and April and early May too - but
the February 4th hearing is important. These proposed
cuts impact a wide range of services and programs impacting nearly
every person in the disability, mental health, senior and low income
communities, including providers, workers and families. We are ONE
community - don't let people tell you that cuts to one group is less
important than another.
Q.: Will the public be allowed to testify?
CDCAN: Yes - there will be limited time
for people to testify, though the amount of time will depend on the
numbers of people, how long the hearing is going on and how long
each person who testifies speaks. People who want
to provide comments should keep their testimony very, very brief and
to the point. People can submit their written comments to the
chair that goes into more detail. Taking more time to speak
takes time away from others who also want to speak. So
it is important to be brief so that others can also speak.
Also - be respectful.
The Senate Budget Committee chair (Senator Denise
Ducheny) and others on that committee have been extremely good and
compassionate in listening to public testimony. Be brief - and
you can also simply say "I agree with the previous
speaker" or say "I oppose these cuts". Be sure
to thank the committee and especially the chair.
Q.: When can I testify on February 4th?
CDCAN: Normally the committee chair (Sen. Ducheny) will
call for public testimony at the end of each specific agenda.
Sometimes the chair will call for testimony after a grouping of
agenda items under the same state department. The best thing
for people to do is to listen to the chair and follow the lead of
others at the hearing. If people start lining up (on the right
side of the hearing room), that is another sign that public
testimony is being taken or will be taken. Persons who need
assistance in getting up to the front of the hearing room to speak
or cannot easily get up to the front area should signal Senate staff
who are there to provide security and logistics (one of them
is always walking around the hearing room, while another is
standing at a small raised desk on the left wall of the hearing room
near the front).
Q.: I cannot come on Monday on February 4th - how
else can I provide comments or concerns about these proposals?
CDCAN: People can and should - even if they show up in
person - send written letters to the Assembly and Senate Budget
Committees. CDCAN will be issuing another alert with more
names
Senator Denise Ducheny, Chair
Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee
State Capitol
Sacramento, CA 95814
Assemblymember John Laird, Chair
Assembly Budget Committee
State Capitol
Sacramento, CA 95814
You should also send copies to the budget subcommittee
chairs:
Assemblymember Patty Berg, Chair
Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Health and Human
Services
Senator Elaine Alquist, Chair
Senate Budget Subcommittee on Health and Human Services
Q.: Will the Legislature take action on Monday (February
4)?
CDCAN: No.
Neither the Assembly or Senate has taken action yet on the
Governor's budget cutting proposals. However the presence of
people and public testimony and comments are important in helping to
determine what will happen in the coming weeks.
Q.: When will the Legislature take action on these
proposed cuts?
CDCAN: Probably mid-February. Both
houses (Assembly and Senate) will have to meet and vote and send a
bill (or bills) to the Governor with some, all or different cuts or
proposals that helps to resolve the State's budget crisis. The
Legislature will later - in March through early May, hold regular
budget subcommittee hearings on the Governor's proposed State Budget
for 2008-2009 (the state budget year begins July 1 and ends June
30).
Q.: What else can I do?
CDCAN: Don't panic - but do respond.
These proposed cuts are very serious - and some of the cuts,
including Medi-Cal Optional Benefits, would take effect June 1, 2008
if approved by the Legislature.
If we believe that the basic foundation of rights of
people with disabilities, mental health needs, seniors is that a
life matters, than we need to be united in our opposition to ALL the
reductions - whether it is a rate cut to the adoption assistance
program and foster care programs that impact thousands of children
with special needs and their families, or proposed cuts to senior
programs, In-Home Supportive Services, regional centers, Medi-Cal,
Healthy Families, mental health services, special education and
more.
Get others connected in your community on what is
happening. Write letters to the budget committees, and
contact, visit your local legislators by yourself or with groups of
people. Participate or organize local organizing events and
also CDCAN Townhall Telemeetings (see CDCAN website for dates and
topics at www.cdcan.us)
CDCAN will be issuing sample letters and suggestions on
that - and also will be providing free live advocacy trainings and
hearings in various areas of the state that people can access
via toll free lines and the internet. Watch for announcements.
NOTE FROM MARTY OMOTO:
AS WE CONTINUE OUR WORK IN
ADVOCACY IN THE COMING WEEKS AND FEB 4th
REMEMBERING ADAM MARSHALL
WHO DIED, AGE 13
As previously
reported in the special commentary I wrote
- a reprint of "A Life That
Mattered", Adam Marshall, who had just
turned 13 on January 9th, and was the
beloved son of David and Karla Marshall,
died unexpectedly in his sleep on January 23,
2008 Wednesday morning. His parents and
family are in devastated by the loss of Adam -
their little boy. He was buried on
Whittier, California on Saturday, January 26th.
Adam had
developmental disabilities who his father said
was "an inspiration" and an
"example that one life can send forth a
ripple of hope that we all belong together as
one...."
Many years ago, I
remember David holding Adam on his lap and
hugging him when he was 5 or 6 years old.
What a beautiful child he was then and as he
grew older.
If love can
be seen and if love is ever magical - and it
can be - then what I saw of David and his
son then and over the years was love - and
it was magical. Who would have thought
that love and magical life could end so
soon?
Of course love
never ends - and life, as I know from
personal experience from the deaths of my
sisters, transforms into powerful and
enduring memories. But one still
misses the life.
We will always
miss Adam.
Adam's life
mattered - like countless others - and that
will always mean something to us in our
advocacy.
Our advocacy - whether
at February 4th budget hearing coming up or
the budget hearings already held on IHSS
and SSI/SSP, foster care, adoption assistance,
special education, regional centers, Medi-Cal,
mental health services, housing, transportations and
other issues or on bills in policy committees -
must always be first about the lives that
matter. That is what we fight for. Not a
program. Not a law. But for the people and
lives that matter that laws, programs and
services are meant to protect.
Besides his mother
and father, he is survived by his sister, Corey,
who is currently enrolled at Cal Poly San Luis
Obispo. Adam's grandmother - Karla
Marshall's mother - had just passed away two
days earlier - and the double losses have
overwhelmed the family.
Please join the many
friends of Adam in expressing our sympathy,
prayers and support to his family.
And let us also pay
tribute to his memory, and the memories of so
many others that have passed in recent months,
including Julie Guzman, Bob Roberts, Jane
Jackson, Mary Ann Jones, Jeannette Nishikawa, by
being strong and united in our advocacy that
will always remembers that their lives - and our
lives matter.
For those who wish to
send condolences:
David and
Karla Marshall
600
Terrado Drive
Monrovia,
CA 91016
In lieu of flowers,
donations can be made to Santa Anita YMCA in
Monrovia in order to establish a scholarship
fund to benefit others, in Adam's name.
Adam's family is also setting up a memorial
fund at Downey Savings in Arcadia.
Please:
Contributions Urgently Needed!
Advocacy
Without Borders
Advocacy Without Borders: Connecting People With Disabilities, Mental Health Needs, Seniors, Traumatic Brain & other injuries, People with MS & other health needs, including People of color, different languages, cultures, Families, Workers, Providers, & Organizations to Rights & Unified Action. This report - and the CDCAN townhalls, and other events and projects are for all of them and for promoting advocacy without borders toward unified action. We are one community.
To respond to this report reply to: Marty Omoto at martyomoto@rcip.com CDCAN website: www.cdcan.us
To continue the CDCAN website, the CDCAN News Reports. sent out and read by over 45,000 people and organizations, policy makers and media across California and to continue the CDCAN "Advocacy Without Borders Townhall Telemeetings" which since December 2003 have connected thousands of people with disabilities, seniors, mental health needs, people with MS and other disorders, people with traumatic brain and other injuries to public policy makers, legislators, and issues. Please send your contribution/donation (make payable to "CDCAN" or "California Disability Community Action Network):
CDCAN
1225 8th Street Suite 480
Sacramento, CA 95814
Advocacy Without Borders: Connecting People With Disabilities, Mental Health Needs, Seniors, Traumatic Brain & other injuries, People with MS & other health needs, including People of color, different languages, cultures, Families, Workers, Providers, & Organizations to Rights & Unified Action. This report - and the CDCAN townhalls, and other events and projects are for all of them and for promoting advocacy without borders toward unified action. We are one community.
To respond to this report reply to: Marty Omoto at martyomoto@rcip.com CDCAN website: www.cdcan.us
To continue the CDCAN website, the CDCAN News Reports. sent out and read by over 45,000 people and organizations, policy makers and media across California and to continue the CDCAN "Advocacy Without Borders Townhall Telemeetings" which since December 2003 have connected thousands of people with disabilities, seniors, mental health needs, people with MS and other disorders, people with traumatic brain and other injuries to public policy makers, legislators, and issues. Please send your contribution/donation (make payable to "CDCAN" or "California Disability Community Action Network):
CDCAN
1225 8th Street Suite 480
Sacramento, CA 95814
Note:
the paypal option on the CDCAN website is temporarily not
working and will be fixed soon.
The CDCAN Townhall Telemeetings are partially funded by a small grant from the USC UCEDD, Grant #90DD0540 from the Administration on Developmental Disabilities. (note: the opinions expressed or content in these reports do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the USC UCEDD.
MANY THANKS to Parents Helping Parents, UCP of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, Work Training, FSNC, Foothill Autism Alliance, Arc Contra Costa, Pause4Kids, Manteca CAPS, Training Toward Self Reliance, UCP, California NAELA, Californians for Disability Rights, Inc (CDR) including CDR chapters, CHANCE Inc, , Strategies To Empower People (STEP), Alta California Regional Center, Harbor Regional Center, Tri-Counties Regional Center, Asian American parents groups, Resources for Independent Living and many other Independent Living Centers, several regional centers, People First chapters, IHSS workers, other self advocacy and family support groups, developmental center families, adoption assistance program families and children, and others across California
The CDCAN Townhall Telemeetings are partially funded by a small grant from the USC UCEDD, Grant #90DD0540 from the Administration on Developmental Disabilities. (note: the opinions expressed or content in these reports do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the USC UCEDD.
MANY THANKS to Parents Helping Parents, UCP of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, Work Training, FSNC, Foothill Autism Alliance, Arc Contra Costa, Pause4Kids, Manteca CAPS, Training Toward Self Reliance, UCP, California NAELA, Californians for Disability Rights, Inc (CDR) including CDR chapters, CHANCE Inc, , Strategies To Empower People (STEP), Alta California Regional Center, Harbor Regional Center, Tri-Counties Regional Center, Asian American parents groups, Resources for Independent Living and many other Independent Living Centers, several regional centers, People First chapters, IHSS workers, other self advocacy and family support groups, developmental center families, adoption assistance program families and children, and others across California