President Obama‘s budget proposal for FY 2012, released on February 14, plans for a five-year freeze on non-security federal discretionary spending, as well as cuts to a number of programs for low-income older adults and families.
Also this week, the House of Representatives began debating a continuing resolution to fund the federal government until the end of FY 2011, which includes $100 billion in cuts to many programs. The House leadership has pledged to make even more drastic cuts in the FY 2012 appropriations process.
Despite the prevailing focus on the nation’s debt and tough fiscal choices, many programs for providing long-term services and supports and improving the health care workforce fared well in Obama’s budget proposal.
The Health Resources and Services Administration budget justification narrative (4.7 MB pdf) highlights the importance of the Personal and Home Care Aide State Training Program. It also includes $51 million for State Health Care Workforce Development Grants and $59.8 million for the Nurse Education, Practice, Quality and Retention Program, which includes second year funding for the Nursing Assistant and Home Health Aide Program.
The Administration on Aging budget justification narrative (pdf) also includes funding for long-term services and supports, such as $120 million for administration of the CLASS program and $416.5 million for home and community-based supportive services. The budget proposal also includes $16.5 million for Adult Protective Services and an increase of $5 million over FY 2010 levels for the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program.
The Affordable Care Act provisions (pdf) for training opportunities for direct-care workers (Sec. 5302) and for career ladders and wage benefit increases to improve long-term care staffing (Sec. 6703) — both of which PHI advocated for — do not appear to be included in the budget proposal.
In spite of these disappointments and worrisome cuts to programs for low-income families, the budget proposal’s emphasis on investing in the direct-care workforce and maintaining long-term services and supports for older adults and people with disabilities is encouraging.
– by Gail MacInnes, PHI National Policy Analyst
