From the Director
State budget update
By Robert P. Dean
Governor Deval Patrick’s proposed budget for state fiscal year 2009, which begins July 1, 2008, has been submitted to the Massachusetts Legislature for review and recommendation. The Governor’s proposed budget is $28.164 billion, which represents a 3% increase from the current fiscal year 2008 budget, which runs through June 30, 2008.
In regards to services for seniors, the only real growth in the Governor’s budget appears to be in the MassHealth line item. The budget numbers for the Elder Affairs line items - Enhanced Community Options (ECOP), State Home Care, Meals on Wheels, the Councils on Aging, protective services, mental health, and caregiver support are seeing little or no increases.
Within the MassHealth line item, there is a new $45.8 million initiative entitled Community First, which is described by the Patrick administration as “a multi-faceted initiative that will give elders and people with disabilities more choices so that they can remain at home and in their communities.” The Community First initiative will expand the income and asset rules for MassHealth, and the services available to help eligible seniors and individuals with disabilities to continue to live at home. The Executive Office of Health and Human Services describes Community First “as a significant commitment to re-balancing the state's long term care system... to ensure a full continuum of care for people in the community while maintaining necessary nursing facility capacity.” As we go to press, many of the details of the Community First initiative are still being developed. We look forward to learning more about this new initiative in the weeks ahead.
In the meantime, we are concerned with the Governor's proposed allocations for such core Elder Affairs' line items as home care services for seniors who are above the income criteria for MassHealth programs including Community First, but who nonetheless have limited incomes. In Berkshire County two such programs, State Home Care and Enhanced Community Options, are serving more than 1,000 limited income seniors a month. These two programs help seniors to continue to live in their own homes with dignity and independence by providing assistance with such things as bathing, getting to and from the bathroom, getting dressed and ready for the day, and homemaking. The State Home Care and Enhanced Community Options Programs need increased funding to keep up with the growing need for the services they provide. Without increased funding, limited income seniors may be caught in the middle and may “fall through the cracks” between the MassHealth programs, including the new Community First initiative, and the state programs. These limited income seniors may have incomes placing them above the financial eligibility guidelines for the MassHealth programs, but may not be able to receive the level of services they need from the state programs because of the lack of additional funding in those programs. Other vital programs, which need additional funding to keep up with senior needs, include Meals on Wheels, the Councils on Aging, protective services, mental health services, and caregiver supports.
In regards to the budget process, the House is expected to complete its budget recommendations sometime in April, at which point the budget will go to the Senate for its review and recommendations. It is hoped that the House and Senate will increase funding for the Elder Affairs line items that provide vital in-home and community based services, so that no seniors will “fall through the cracks.” Once the Senate completes its budget recommendations, a conference committee comprised of three House and three Senate members will meet to reconcile any differences between the House and Senate versions. After the House and Senate approve the revised budget, it will return to the Governor to review and approve the recommendations, or to veto selected line items, if he so chooses. (The House and Senate may override any veto by a two-thirds vote in each chamber.) The budget process is expected to be completed on time, so that the fiscal year 2009 budget will be in place by July 1, 2008.
Robert P. Dean is Executive Director of Elder Services
