CDCAN: IHSS OVERTIME WILL BE PART OF BUDGET SAYS BROWN ADMINISTRATION – BUDGET CONFERENCE COMMITTEE APPROVES TRAILER BILL LANGUAGE THAT WILL PROVIDE FRAMEWORK TO IMPLEMENT OVERTIME - 7% IHSS CUT TO RECIPIENTS HOWEVER REMAINS - EARLY START RESTORATION REMAINS SACRAMENTO, CA (CDCAN – LAST UPDATED 06/12/2014 8:00 PM) – The Budget Conference Committee in its final meeting, as part of the overall budget deal reached with the Governor and Democratic legislative leaders, took action on several budget issues impacting health and human services including approving budget trailer bill language to provide a framework to implement overtime provisions for In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) workers. The Brown Administration acknowledged at the committee hearing this evening that overtime for IHSS workers, as required by new federal regulations effective January 1, 2015, will be funded in the 2014-2015 State Budget. The budget package as revised by the Budget Conference Committee now heads for a final vote by the Assembly and State Senate late Sunday afternoon. CDCAN will provide a full report on all Budget Conference Committee actions later this evening. As part of the budget deal, some of the major actions included: IN-HOME SUPPORTIVE SERVICES (IHSS): The Assembly and State Senate proposal to allow for overtime payments for IHSS workers beginning in January 2015 in compliance with the new federal regulations will be part of the over-all budget deal it was disclosed at the Budget Conference Committee by the Governor’s Department of Finance. The Brown Administration estimated the cost of $180 million in the budget year, and requested budget trailer bill language that would provide a framework to implement the overtime provisions, ensure the integrity of the program and avoid “excessive overtime” payments. The Budget Conference Committee voted The Budget Conference Committee however, in another IHSS issue, reversed the action by the Assembly and State Senate that would have restored a 7% across-the-board reduction to all IHSS recipients on October 1, 2014. The 7% cut is scheduled to take effect July 1, 2014, replacing the existing 8% reduction that took effect last July 1st as part of a federal court settlement. The settlement would restore the 7% cut only if there was sufficient new federal funding to cover the cost. The Budget Conference Committee approved the action to not restore the 7% cut as part of the budget because that restoration will be handled in the coming months outside the budget process. EARLY START: With the restoration of Early Start eligibility back to what it was before the 2009 reductions part of the budget deal, the committee voted 8 to 0 to approve Brown Administration’s request to move the effective date to January 1, 2015 of that restoration. SUPPORTED EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM: Voted 6 to 2 to approve the Governor’s May Revision proposal which did not include a rate increase and excluded the program from additional funding to help with the increase in the State minimum wage increase (effective July 1, 2014). SSI/SSP (SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME/STATE SUPPLEMENTAL PAYMENT GRANTS): Voted 8 to 0 to not approve the Assembly proposal to reinstate the cost of living adjustment for the State portion of the grant was not approved by the conference committee. APPLIED BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS (ABA): voted 6-2 to not approve the Senate proposal to add Applied Behavior Analysis as a Medi-Cal managed care benefit. MEDI-CAL PROVIDER RATES: Voted 6 to 2 to not approve the proposal by both houses to restore the 10% Medi-Cal provider rate reductions. INTERMEDIATE CARE FACILITIES FOR DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED (ICF/DD): Voted 6 to 2, to not approve the Assembly proposal to eliminate the existing rate freeze. MEDI-CAL OPTIONAL BENEFITS: Voted 8 to 0 to not approve the Senate proposal to restore several Medi-Cal “optional benefits” eliminated in 2009: acupuncture, audiology, chiropractic, incontinence cream and washes, optician/optical lab, podiatry, and speech therapy. CAREGIVER RESOURCE CENTERS: Voted 7 to 1, to not approve the Assembly’s proposed $2.9 million increase for this program.
Posted on: Fri, 13 Jun 2014 06:00:47 +0000
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