Senator Mark Leno,
As a recipient and a member of the County of Humboldt In-Home Supportive Services Advisory Board I find it difficult to understand how our State can allow elderly and disabled not to have assistance to live independently and at the same time be a part of society.
With recent changes in the IHSS Program the State has spent more money than it has saved! With further discussion taking place it seems the State has targeted only individuals that have no way of defending themselves in keeping needed support to live freely in their own homes.
As an individual I rely on the services for cleaning my home and myself and as I have noticed in the past few months, 35 years in a wheelchair has begin to take a toll on my ability to do little things. Services provided by the IHSS Program being proposed to cut would only lessen my ability to stay in my home and more than likely separate me from immediate members of my family, wife and daughter.
I am one of many that probably feel this way and surely the California Senate Budget Subcommittee can look at other alternatives to saving money besides taking it from programs that create positive society value to out State, assisting the edlerly and individuals with disabilities.
Reconsider cuts to IHSS!
Respectfully,
Charles Bean
Showing posts with label IHSS cuts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label IHSS cuts. Show all posts
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Saturday, August 22, 2009
IN HOME SUPPORTIVE SERVICES
IN HOME SUPPORTIVE SERVICESCLAIMS OF MASSIVE FRAUD ARE BOGUS
By Doug Moore 2:00 a.m. August 21, 2009
In Home Supportive Services (IHSS) is a vital, cost-effective government program that cares for hundreds of thousands of elderly, blind and disabled Californians in their own homes rather than in far-more-costly nursing homes or other institutions. According to the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office, it costs taxpayers at least six times less to care for a person under IHSS than for institutional care.
In recent months, however, partisan ideologues, ambitious district attorneys and even some in the media have engaged in a campaign of misinformation aimed at weakening the program.
They claim that there is “massive” fraud in IHSS. They cite recent grand jury reports expressing concern about the lack of program safeguards. They breathlessly repeat details of individual cases of fraud. Some even imply that there must be fraud in the program because IHSS home care providers are represented by unions.
This smear campaign reached its low point on July 2, when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger told a news conference in Sacramento that the IHSS program is “riddled” with fraud. He cited claims that the fraud rate in IHSS was an unbelievable 25 percent. He bragged that eliminating fraud from the program would save “hundreds of millions if not billions of dollars” and help solve the state's budget crisis.
Following the news conference, the IHSS specialist in the Legislative Analysts Office, Virginia Bella, told reporters: “I've never had anyone tell me where that number comes from.” The Sacramento Bee accused the governor of: “Spouting misleading rhetoric about waste and fraud,” while the San Jose Mercury-News called his allegations: “phantom claims.”
Here's why: In Sacramento County during fiscal year 2006-2007, there were fewer than 400 reports of suspected fraud from more than 17,000 IHSS clients. That's a rate of only about two percent. Of these reports, 31 cases were deemed worthy of prosecution. That means the rate of prosecutable fraud in Sacramento County for that year was approximately two-tenths of one percent.
That's hardly a fraud “epidemic.” (Despite this, Sacramento County District Attorney Jan Scully was an eager participant in the governor's July 2 dog-and-pony show.) In San Bernardino County, a grand jury found approximately 60 fraud cases a year referred by investigators, in a universe of nearly 20,000 IHSS clients. Even if all 60 cases were eventually proven to be fraud, that would represent a rate of three-tenths of one percent. Even the governor's own “Quality Assurance” survey in 2007 found a less than one percent incidence of fraud in IHSS.
Sadly, the state Legislature bought the governor's unsubstantiated fraud claims hook, line and sinker. The regressive and unfair budget agreement passed late last month will throw nearly 100,000 people out of IHSS. But it also brands all the clients and providers who remain in the program as potential “fraud criminals.”
Under the budget agreement, all home care clients and providers must be fingerprinted — only amputees are exempt. It's a wonder the governor and Legislature didn't demand retinal scans for these unfortunates. In addition, all home care workers, most of whom make little more than minimum wage, must obtain criminal background checks at their own expense.
While any fraud in IHSS is wrong and should be punished, the facts show no evidence of “massive” fraud in the program. The projections of budget savings that will come from these so-called anti-fraud provisions are illusory at best. Yet the majority of Democrats in the Legislature chose to serve as enablers for the governor and his right-wing allies rather than showing the moral courage to stand with IHSS consumers and their caregivers.It is a sad day for California when we treat our elderly, blind and disabled citizens, and those who care for them, like common criminals and call it “reform.”
Moore is executive director of the statewide UDW Homecare Providers Union, which is headquartered in San Diego.
By Doug Moore 2:00 a.m. August 21, 2009
In Home Supportive Services (IHSS) is a vital, cost-effective government program that cares for hundreds of thousands of elderly, blind and disabled Californians in their own homes rather than in far-more-costly nursing homes or other institutions. According to the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office, it costs taxpayers at least six times less to care for a person under IHSS than for institutional care.
In recent months, however, partisan ideologues, ambitious district attorneys and even some in the media have engaged in a campaign of misinformation aimed at weakening the program.
They claim that there is “massive” fraud in IHSS. They cite recent grand jury reports expressing concern about the lack of program safeguards. They breathlessly repeat details of individual cases of fraud. Some even imply that there must be fraud in the program because IHSS home care providers are represented by unions.
This smear campaign reached its low point on July 2, when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger told a news conference in Sacramento that the IHSS program is “riddled” with fraud. He cited claims that the fraud rate in IHSS was an unbelievable 25 percent. He bragged that eliminating fraud from the program would save “hundreds of millions if not billions of dollars” and help solve the state's budget crisis.
Following the news conference, the IHSS specialist in the Legislative Analysts Office, Virginia Bella, told reporters: “I've never had anyone tell me where that number comes from.” The Sacramento Bee accused the governor of: “Spouting misleading rhetoric about waste and fraud,” while the San Jose Mercury-News called his allegations: “phantom claims.”
Here's why: In Sacramento County during fiscal year 2006-2007, there were fewer than 400 reports of suspected fraud from more than 17,000 IHSS clients. That's a rate of only about two percent. Of these reports, 31 cases were deemed worthy of prosecution. That means the rate of prosecutable fraud in Sacramento County for that year was approximately two-tenths of one percent.
That's hardly a fraud “epidemic.” (Despite this, Sacramento County District Attorney Jan Scully was an eager participant in the governor's July 2 dog-and-pony show.) In San Bernardino County, a grand jury found approximately 60 fraud cases a year referred by investigators, in a universe of nearly 20,000 IHSS clients. Even if all 60 cases were eventually proven to be fraud, that would represent a rate of three-tenths of one percent. Even the governor's own “Quality Assurance” survey in 2007 found a less than one percent incidence of fraud in IHSS.
Sadly, the state Legislature bought the governor's unsubstantiated fraud claims hook, line and sinker. The regressive and unfair budget agreement passed late last month will throw nearly 100,000 people out of IHSS. But it also brands all the clients and providers who remain in the program as potential “fraud criminals.”
Under the budget agreement, all home care clients and providers must be fingerprinted — only amputees are exempt. It's a wonder the governor and Legislature didn't demand retinal scans for these unfortunates. In addition, all home care workers, most of whom make little more than minimum wage, must obtain criminal background checks at their own expense.
While any fraud in IHSS is wrong and should be punished, the facts show no evidence of “massive” fraud in the program. The projections of budget savings that will come from these so-called anti-fraud provisions are illusory at best. Yet the majority of Democrats in the Legislature chose to serve as enablers for the governor and his right-wing allies rather than showing the moral courage to stand with IHSS consumers and their caregivers.It is a sad day for California when we treat our elderly, blind and disabled citizens, and those who care for them, like common criminals and call it “reform.”
Moore is executive director of the statewide UDW Homecare Providers Union, which is headquartered in San Diego.
Friday, August 7, 2009
State IHSS Budget Cuts?
During the past couple of months our State Governor Schwarzenegger has charged that fraud and integrity was out of control within the In-Home Supportive Services Program. Later this charge had been proven in part, mostly wrong. Yet, because of this initial charge, there has developed a climate that the In-Home Supportive Services Program needs more program integrity and investigating of possible fraud by its users.
Under the disguise of cutting services to the most needy and vulnerable of this State’s population, the elderly and individuals with disabilities, our State legislatures voted to pass Assembly Bill 1x4 as amended by the Senate July 23, 2009. This bill requires reducing assistance to many throughout the State, though some, hopefully, will be able to adjust to not having minimum services such as cleaning the house, meal preparation and cleanup, laundry, and etc.
These may seem minor, but they could lead to more poor health conditions than necessary within the elderly and people with disabilities community
What’s difficult to understand, especially after all the debate about needing to make cuts in the budget that will hurt, our State Legislatures approved to fill 67 positions to work in our Capitol. Twenty-five of these positions to be filled this fiscal year and the remaining forty-two positions to be filled in fiscal year 2010-2011. These positions are to work in the State Department of Health Care Services and the State Department of Social Services to develop program integrity and fraud prevention within the In-Home Supportive Services program.
The funding for these positions will total $3,004,000 (50/50 State and Federal funding.). In addition to this, our State Legislatures have appropriated $10 million for the purpose of fraud investigations and additional program integrity efforts related to the In-Home Supportive Services Program. This is to be distributed to the Counties after they have developed an approved plan to address fraud and program integrity surrounding the In-Home Supportive Services Program of the County.
If our State Legislatures really wanted to curtail fraud and promote the program integrity of the In-Home Supportive Services Program they would not hire the 67 positions planned to be filled in the Capitol of Sacramento. They would invest this funding on top of the $10 million into the In-Home Supportive Services Program at the County level to investigate fraud and develop program integrity.
Our County programs do not need more tiers of management in the Capitol, but need more support on the ground in the County from the State!
Who am I? My name is Charlie Bean. I am a Triplegic, one of those that will more than likely lose my In-Home Supportive Services, which is okay for me. But is it okay for others much worse off than I am Senator Wiggins and Assemblymember Chesbro?
Under the disguise of cutting services to the most needy and vulnerable of this State’s population, the elderly and individuals with disabilities, our State legislatures voted to pass Assembly Bill 1x4 as amended by the Senate July 23, 2009. This bill requires reducing assistance to many throughout the State, though some, hopefully, will be able to adjust to not having minimum services such as cleaning the house, meal preparation and cleanup, laundry, and etc.
These may seem minor, but they could lead to more poor health conditions than necessary within the elderly and people with disabilities community
What’s difficult to understand, especially after all the debate about needing to make cuts in the budget that will hurt, our State Legislatures approved to fill 67 positions to work in our Capitol. Twenty-five of these positions to be filled this fiscal year and the remaining forty-two positions to be filled in fiscal year 2010-2011. These positions are to work in the State Department of Health Care Services and the State Department of Social Services to develop program integrity and fraud prevention within the In-Home Supportive Services program.
The funding for these positions will total $3,004,000 (50/50 State and Federal funding.). In addition to this, our State Legislatures have appropriated $10 million for the purpose of fraud investigations and additional program integrity efforts related to the In-Home Supportive Services Program. This is to be distributed to the Counties after they have developed an approved plan to address fraud and program integrity surrounding the In-Home Supportive Services Program of the County.
If our State Legislatures really wanted to curtail fraud and promote the program integrity of the In-Home Supportive Services Program they would not hire the 67 positions planned to be filled in the Capitol of Sacramento. They would invest this funding on top of the $10 million into the In-Home Supportive Services Program at the County level to investigate fraud and develop program integrity.
Our County programs do not need more tiers of management in the Capitol, but need more support on the ground in the County from the State!
Who am I? My name is Charlie Bean. I am a Triplegic, one of those that will more than likely lose my In-Home Supportive Services, which is okay for me. But is it okay for others much worse off than I am Senator Wiggins and Assemblymember Chesbro?
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