Elimination of Adult Day Health Care is Delayed
Tuesday, November 22, 2011 at 4:05PM 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
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