Richard H. Chambers Courthouse, Pasadena, CA

A federal appeals court in California ruled against Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on March 3, invalidating past budget cuts that would substantially reduce wages for In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) direct-care workers. Read the full story

CA Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has proposed severe budget cuts to the state’s In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program, which would eliminate 87 percent of its services in July. Read the full story

Drastic budget cuts in California will severely weaken essential long-term care programs there, according to a report issued by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. Read the full story

President Barack Obama

President Obama has released a proposed budget outline for 2010 that includes a downpayment on universal health care coverage. Obama identified eight key principles for health care reform:

• Aim for universality
• Maintain choice of insurance and doctors
• Ensure affordable coverage
• Protect Americans financial health
• Invest in prevention and wellness
• Improve patient safety and quality of care
• Be fiscally responsible and sustainable
• Provide portability

Carol Regan, director of PHI’s Health Care for Health Care Workers initiative, applauded the budget: “This is a signficant step forward, and I urge Congress to act this year to ensure quality affordable health care for all Americans, including tens of thousands of uninsured direct-care workers.” Read the full story

Wall Street Journal's Rundown of LTC Cuts

Health care stakeholders hoped this week the lame-duck session of Congress would examine a stimulus package that includes an increase to the federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP), the federal matching funds that states receive to fund their Medicaid programs.

Many states, such as New York, are threatening to cut Medicaid to make up for budget shortfalls.

According to a recent Wall Street Journal story, at least 15 states, including Alabama, Virginia and Massachusetts, are targeting funding for programs that allow low-income direct-care consumers to receive personal care in their own homes.

The story says the cutbacks are exacerbating the already long waiting lists for home-care support services in many states. With forced reductions due to state budget shortfalls, the low-income elderly and disabled may be forced into nursing homes.

Read the full story

This is the second in a series examining how state budget cuts are affecting long-term care across America.

New York lawmakers took no action in Tuesday’s emergency state legislative session on budget cuts proposed by Gov. David Paterson. The cutting of state and matching federal funds could have meant over $300 million in multiyear reductions to home care. Read the full story