About 9,000 elderly and disabled Californians are facing higher bills to receive the same level of care in the state's In-Home Supportive Services program, the Sacramento Bee reports.
The federal government contributes 50% of the funding for the IHSS program, which serves about 400,000 Californians.
Since 2004, IHSS participants and the state have split the remaining "share-of-cost" payment for IHSS and Medi-Cal, California's Medicaid program.
However, state lawmakers reduced that subsidy when they crafted this summer's budget revision package. In September, state officials sent letters informing affected IHSS participants that they would need to contribute a higher share to receive the same caregiver services.
Other Cuts Stalled?
The share-of-cost payment reductions are the first IHSS cuts to be fully implemented. Recent court action has blocked other scheduled cuts that would have dropped some participants from the program.
Marilyn Holle of Disability Rights California filed another lawsuit last month contending that the state failed to properly inform IHSS participants about the changes. Although Holle failed to obtain a temporary restraining order blocking the cuts, she said she hopes to obtain an injunction on Nov. 30 (Ferriss, Sacramento Bee, 11/18).