Do you have Medical & Medicare? If so, Please complete this survey

Do you have both Medicare and Medi-Cal? If so, the State of California wants to learn more about your needs, concerns and priorities as it works to improve care coordination for people in your situation, who commonly are called “dual eligibles” or “Medi-Medis.”  Please take 10 minutes to complete an electronic survey developed by Harbage Consulting as part of its work supporting the State's efforts to collect consumer input.

Access the survey through this link: www.surveymonkey.com/s/CalDuals

This survey collects information from people who have BOTH Medicare and Medi-Cal about their health care experiences. Your answers will inform California's planning. Family members and caregivers are encouraged to complete this survey based on the experience of their relative/friend/client. Responses will be collected through December 20, 2011. 

For more information about this project, you can visit the website www.CalDuals.org. Stay updated by following the group on Twitter @CalDuals.



Elimination of Adult Day Health Care is Delayed

A report from the California Disability Community Action Network:

DETAILS OF ADULT DAY HEALTH CARE MEDI-CAL BENEFIT SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT

Agreement Reached November 17th Delays Elimination of Medi-Cal Benefit Until February 29, 2012 - New Medi-Cal Program To Be Created

SACRAMENTO, CA (CDCAN)  [Last updated 11/18/2011 06:55 AM] -  As reported yesterday, the scheduled elimination date of Adult Day Health Care as a Medi-Cal "optional" benefit will be delayed from December 1, 2011 to February 29, 2012 under a settlement announced Thursday (November 17) of a federal lawsuit between recipients in the program and the California Department of Health Care Services under the Brown Administration.   The settlement agreement was hailed as a major victory by advocates for people with disabilities and seniors across the State, with the legal team headed by Disability Rights California (DRC) being widely praised for its work.

Still, some advocates and Adult Day Health Care program providers, while strongly praising the settlement note that many providers have been forced to close, laying off hundreds of workers - and it is not clear yet how many of the existing program providers - and their workers - will be able to survive under the new program that will be established under the settlement agreement. Others still fear the impact of State Budget "trigger cuts" on critical services and supports and a new round of State Budget cuts still to come when Governor Brown releases his new 2012-2013 State Budget in January - with massive spending cuts likely in order to close what is now projected to be a nearly $13 billion budget shortfall.   But almost all advocates, providers and program participants and policymakers welcomed the settlement agreement as an end to the uncertainty and confusion and turmoil that began since last March when the Legislature approved Governor Brown's proposal to eliminate Adult Day Health Care as a Medi-Cal benefit...more

Stay informed! Go to the Advocacy Corner for frequent updates!

Congressional Super Committee Updates

Super Committee Cannot Leap Over Ideological Chasm; President Warns He Will Not Allow Gutting of Automatic Cuts

A report from the Coalition on Human Needs:

Monday, November 21 was the day the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction had to provide details of its plan to the Congressional Budget Office so its costs and savings could be estimated.  Unable to agree on a plan, the Committee’s co-chairs Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) released a statement acknowledging that.

The so-called “super committee” was granted special powers in the Budget Control Act, requiring legislation that could pass the Committee with a majority vote to proceed on a fast track through Congress, unencumbered by amendments or procedural delaying tactics.  But that expedited path would only be possible if the Joint Select Committee could get to “yes” by November 23.  They could not.

Evenly split among Democrats and Republicans as well as House and Senate, the Joint Select Committee foundered because the Committee’s Republicans were dogged in using the deficit reduction goal to shrink domestic programs while even further reducing the tax burden of upper-income individuals and corporations...more

Stay informed! Go to the Advocacy Corner for frequent updates!

IHSS Consumers: Important Notices to be Mailed 12/15/11

The State of California will be sending out IHSS 20% reduction notices to consumers by December 15, 2011.  Only consumers whose IHSS services are being reduced by the 20% will receive an IHSS service hour reduction notice.  (The State will also inform providers of the reduction through a statement which will appear on the provider's time sheet.)

• The 20% cut goes into effect 1/1/2012, unless a consumer gets approved for an IHSS Care Supplement.   
• The IHSS Care Supplement application will be mailed to the consumer by 12/15/2011.
• The IHSS consumer must submit the IHSS Care Supplement application by the deadline to apply to keep the cut from happening.

IHSS consumers who apply for, and qualify for an IHSS Care Supplement will get back some or all of their reduced hours.  IHSS services will continue at the same level if an IHSS consumer submits an IHSS Care Supplement application by January 1, 2012, or within 15 days from receiving the IHSS 20% reduction notice.  This is called "aid paid pending."  State law says IHSS consumers can get an IHSS Care Supplement only if they are at risk of out-of-home placement, unless they get back some or all of their IHSS hours
("Out-of-home placement" means that the consumer would have to leave her/his own home and go live somewhere else, such as a board and care home, or a nursing home).

Some consumers will automatically receive an IHSS Care Supplement...  

• Consumers who receive the maximum of 283 hours per month.
• Consumers who receive Protective Supervision.
• Consumers who receive services under a Home and Community Based Services Waiver, such as:

Acquired Immune Deficient Syndrome (AIDS) Waiver; Home and Community-Based Services Waiver for the Developmentally Disabled (HCBS-DD); Multipurpose Senior Services Program (MSSP); Nursing Facility/Acute Hospital (NF/AH) Waiver, and; In-Home Operations (IHO) Waiver

Stay informed! Go to the Advocacy Corner for frequent updates!



Do you have Both Medicare and Medi-Cal? Participants needed for focus group.

Listening Session:

Do you have BOTH Medicare and Medi-Cal?

Your input is needed to improve health care delivery in California

Please attend a focus group and discuss with State representatives ways to improve coordination and delivery of Medicare and Medi-Cal services.

When: 2 pm – 3 pm, Monday Nov. 14

Where: Koret Board Room

Ed Roberts Campus

3075 Adeline Street, Berkeley, CA 94703

Refreshments will be served.

If accommodations are needed please respond ASAP. Include your specific accommodation request in your email or message. 

All CIL Meetings are conducted in wheelchair-accessible locations.   Please do not wear scented products to this meeting. If you need accommodations such as Sign Language interpretation, assistive listening devices, printed matter in alternative format, please call (510) 841-4776 or (510) 356-2662 (video phone) or TTY (510) 848-3101.  We will try to accommodate all requests, but need at least 3 business days notice. 

ONLY 15 SPOTS AVAILABLE

Contact: Ingrid Jeffers at (510) 841-4776 X 3112 or ijeffers@cilberkeley.org