Impact of California State Budget Delay on the Disabled and Seniors

Lydia Missaedlides, executive director of the California Association for Adult Day Services said that “Closing these facilities is nothing less than a disaster for every California community. The loss of vital health care services is inhumane at best. The impact on families who depend on these centers as their only affordable source of safe, secure, reliable supervision is equally devastating. Families throughout California are going to face economic hardships while those they love and care for face severe medical, mental and psychological consequences."

She added that "It’s hard to imagine a more shameful course of action than depriving these people of critical health services."

Other statewide advocacy groups and agencies, including the California Foundation for Independent, CANAELA, Living, the Alzheimer's Association and others reported major concerns for thousands of people with disabilities and seniors and the impact of the budget delay.

Meanwhile, providers in Rancho Cucamonga have organized a rally August 10, Friday at 12 noon at State Sen. Dutton's district office at 8577 Haven Avenue, Suite 210, Rancho Cucamonga, to protest the delay in passage of the budget. One of the organizers, Gail Horrigan, of Horrigan Enterprises, and a provider , said "...it is unacceptable for government to threaten the livelihood" of people with disabilities". She urged persons with developmental disabilities, families and others to join in the protest because Intermediate Care Facilities for the Developmentally Disabled (ICF-DD) depend nearly 100% on Medi-Cal funding - and that funding has been cut off until a budget is passed and signed into law. Horrigan can be reached at 909-484-5561 for more details and information or Gary MacComber at (916) 449.3907.

Some Community Programs Will Feel Impact Later

The 21 non-profit regional centers who have contracts with the Department of Developmental Services to coordinate and fund many community-based services for persons with developmental disabilities are impacted too - though the impact will likely not be felt until about the end of August. However many persons with developmental disabilities are in programs or receive services, such as Intermediate Care Facilities, nursing homes, adult day health programs not funded directly by regional centers that will soon face possible reductions or closure depending on the provider.

Some services - such as Medi-Cal payments directly for doctors and pharmacies must continue. Other payments, including SSI/SSP, and In-Home Supportive Services are also not impacted by the budget delay because of federal law - however the persons receiving those services or payments might be impacted depending on other services they receive. See previous CDCAN report for a full listing - or watch for the soon to be scheduled CDCAN Townhall Telemeeting in the next day or so.

The California Disability Community Action Network, is a non-partisan link to thousands of Californians with developmental and other disabilities, people with traumatic brain injuries, the Blind, the Deaf, their families, community organizations and providers, direct care, homecare and other workers, and other advocates to provide information on state (and eventually federal), local public policy issues.