Thursday, May 26, 2011

Michigan State budget news....

Final decisions on the Department of Community Health budget for FY 2012 
(beg. October 1, 2011) were made yesterday and there was both good and 
bad news:
 
The good news is that the previously proposed cuts to the Office of 
Services to the Aging budget for  nutrition, senior volunteer, and other 
programs will not go into effect.  This is especially fortunate since 
OSA has been cut repeatedly in recent years and area agencies on aging 
would have had great difficulty absorbing further reductions in 
funding.  Also, instead of flat funding for the MI Choice Home and 
Community Based Waiver program as the Governor had proposed, the 
Conference Committee approved approximately $24 million in additional 
funding, presumably to fund the additional nursing home transitions DCH 
has planned.
 
The bad news is that two of the Governor's proposed cuts were adopted by 
the conference committee: there is no funding for the Michigan Quality 
Community Care Council which maintains a registry to match Home Help  
consumers find suitable Home Help providers.  In addition, Home Help 
consumers who need chore services only  (but not personal care services) 
will be denied services as of October 1.   The Center for Civil Justice 
and the Michigan Poverty Law Program have advised the Department that 
denying chore services to this population while still providing them to 
individuals who need personal care services is a violation of federal 
law.  The Department has referred the matter to its lawyers but does not 
appear to have made a final decision on whether the Department can 
proceed with terminating services to these Home Help consumers.
 
 
-- 
Alison E. Hirschel
Elder Law Attorney
Michigan Poverty Law Program
3490 Belle Chase Way, Suite 50
Lansing, MI 48911
Phone: (517) 394-2985 x 231
Fax: (517) 394-4276
www.mplp.org

 

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