Adult Day Health Care Faces Uncertain Future in Wake of Budget Cuts
In the wake of recent state budget cuts, California's adult day health care program faces uncertainty as to how it will operate with a smaller budget, the Sacramento Bee reports.
Details of the Cuts
Adult day health care was one of several state-funded health programs facing cuts as part of Gov. Jerry Brown's (D) plan to help close the state's $26.6 billion budget deficit over 18 months.
The California Association for Adult Day Services estimates the program serves about 37,000 individuals, while the governor's office estimates the number to be 27,000.
Brown initially proposed eliminating all $176 million in state funding for the adult day health care program. Public opposition to the cuts led lawmakers to scale back the cuts by about half.
The new plan allocates $85 million in Medi-Cal funding for a new program called Keeping Adults from Institutions. Medi-Cal is California's Medicaid program. The state must secure a federal waiver to use those funds, which would be matched by the federal government.
Implications
In many ways, the state now must rebuild the program from the ground up, setting new standards for who can receive care, according to the Bee.
Lydia Missaelides -- executive director for the Association for Adult Day Services -- said the budget cuts mean that "a significant number of patients will be displaced." She said, "We just don't know how many, where or when"Â (Chang, Sacramento Bee, 3/28).
For additional coverage of proposed legislation on long-term health care in California, see today's Capitol Desk post.
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