January, 2003
Another holiday season has come to an end, and I've managed to get through the whole thing without giving a thought to how much money I've been spending. Well, I've thought about it at times, I guess, after all I think the only person who might not have to give their budget a single thought is that Virginia Powerball winner who is currently making his rounds on the talk show circuit. Some guys have all the luck...
For many of us the word budget has a very negative connotation this time of year, kind of like the words, calorie or oh, I don't know,...work. One more sugar cookie won't hurt, and hey no one really gets anything done during the holidays...right? Most people are on vacation anyway...so it doesn't really matter that your work ethic has become that of a grizzly bear in winter....Things will turn around in January, right?
Well, if I were you, and since my columns always tend to have some autobiographical slant or another, I guess I am...I'd shape up now, because it appears that January could mark the beginning of our financial woes, instead of our salvation. Our State budget deficit is currently estimated to be $ 34.8 billion. Our Governor plans to bridge that gap, oh I'm sorry,...huge gap....by making massive cuts to state programs, many of which are of vital importance to people with disabilities and seniors. I'd like to share some of his proposed cuts with you now, so you are aware of what's happening and ready to take action when needed.
Governor Davis recently called the State Legislature into special session to review his plan for current year General Fund spending reductions totaling 10.2 billion over the next two years. Among these reductions, were substantial cuts to Medi-Cal funding, including a Medi-Cal provider rate reduction of 10 % effective April 1, 2003. What does that mean to people with disabilities who receive Medi-Cal? If providers can't make as much as they did before, we may see a reduction in the number of providers thereby making it harder for people with disabilities or seniors to get the services they need.
Medi-Cal optional benefits like dental services, medical supplies, psychology and occupational therapy, are also slated for the chopping block. Governor Davis' proposal is that these "optional" benefits be eliminated for adults over the age of 21 who are not receiving long term care services. Items like ventilators and diabetic testing supplies would not be covered by Medi-Cal. I realize that I've been in somewhat of a holi-daze lately but since when is breathing considered optional?
Medi-Cal Quarterly Status Reports would also be reinstated under this plan. As of April 1, 2003, families receiving Medi-Cal would be required to submit quarterly eligibility status reports to verify that they are still eligible for the program. The Administration is predicting a cost savings of $10 million in the current year, not because the any of these families will no longer need Medi-Cal, but because they think that these families won't complete the reports and will hence lose their eligibility. Uh, once again, I'm left wondering about the logic here? Reinstating a complex layer of paperwork that was previously done away with by statute, so people won't fill it out, so it will save money...despite the fact people still need the services...Talk about a daze...
In order to be truly prepared to face these and other hardships on the fiscal horizon, we must educate ourselves and we must realize that our old approaches to budget issues will no longer work. When legislators meet with different groups to discuss the impact that these potential cuts will have on them, they won't want to hear the same old "don't cut us" mantra, they will want to hear a compromise message that takes into account that everyone will have to do some belt-tightening. Only through working together, do we have a chance of protecting those programs that are the most important to us. Stay tuned to this column in the coming months for more budget news and advocacy opportunities.