June 30, 2009
Media Release: MASS HOME CARE
contact: Al Norman 978-502-3794
Mass Home Care today expressed surprise and disappointment in Governor Deval Patrick's decision last night to cut another $1.5 million from the state's Aging Services Access Points agency operating budgets.
There are 30 non-profit ASAPs in the state, and collectively they are responsible for managing the daily care of more than 50,000 seniors just in the home care programs.
ASAPs were caught by surprise last night by the unexpected cut. "Unexpected" because on June 5th, when the Governor released his revised House 1 budget for FY 2010, he did not cut back care management funds. This means that as of the Governor's revised budget, this was not a line item that was being targeted. Neither the House nor the Senate chose to cut this line item either. The Governor lowered the funding for care managers on his own.
"In a ' community first ' state, it is somewhat puzzling why services, like care management, would be cut, said Mass Home Care Executive Director Al Norman. Nursing homes, by contrast, did not see a cut in revenues---only a cutback in their rate of increase. "It appears that community first means community programs get cut first," Norman said.
"Our FY 2009 original appropriation, before 9 c cuts, was $40.7 million for care management. Between the 9c cuts in 2009, and now the Governor's reduced funding for FY 2010, the care management account will stand at $36 million---a 9% cut in funding, and a loss of $4.6 million," Norman added.
"These cuts to community programs make no sense if we are going to succeed at continuing to 'bend the curve' on nursing home use. Our care managers are already struggling with high caseloads with very disabled people . This account is used by the ASAPs to cover built - in losses in such programs as protective services and other Elder Affairs mandates that are not fully funded.
The Governor offered no justification for this cutback, and no details.