The good news is:  1) there are no co-pays for acute care Medicaid services (although there are co-pays for Medical Day Care); 2) there are funds in the budget for new graduates of special education needing day program services; 3) consolidating one of the Developmental Centers: 4) funds available for Olmstead, Waiting List, and people who are currently in out-of-State placements.

The concern is that there is a proposal to increase the contribution to care and maintenance, significant cuts to Personal Care Assistance Reimbursement rates, changes to the Family Cost Share in Early Intervention, elimination of the cash subsidy program for Family Support, and as mentioned earlier the co-pays for Medical Day Care.

For more information about the specific budget as it impacts people with developmental disabilities and others, please click  on FY’11 budget.  We will provide additional information and Talking Points for the Public Budget hearings as quickly as possible.

ABCD focused its testimony on: Proposals to assist providers hurt by the recession; Maintaining comprehensive Medicaid benefits, including ensuring no Medicaid co-pays; Proposal for receiving a Supplemental Rebate for Medicaid; Bulk Purchasing of Pharmaceutical and Durable Medical Equipment; Maximizing Federal Revenues; and the Future of Developmental Centers.  To read our full testimony: Click here for Testimony for Assembly Leadership Committee

The Governor has provided a number of changes to make up the funding shortfall.  However,  there are no cuts to community services to people with developmental disabilities in the community.  We want to thank Governor Corzine for recognizing the needs of people with developmental disabilities and not cutting any services in the community. 

Below is a brief synopsis and explanation of the changes to the budget related to services to people with developmental disabilities. 

Education:

• $222 thousand in adjusted spending projection for Extraordinary Special Education Costs Aid.  (This is not a cut, but a change in the amount of funds estimated to be expended).

 Human Services:

• Save $5.034 million in Developmental Center Operating Efficiencies (each Developmental Center will need to find savings that will not impact services to people.  This could include cuts in training budgets or whatever else Center determines is not needed).
• Save $54 thousand in uncommitted Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) Capital Balances. 

 Health and Senior Services:

• $15 million in adjusted spending projection for Early Intervention. (If you remember, this happened last year as well and there were no actual cuts in services.  Instead, because of additional revenue, including additional federal Medicaid funds, the State could reduce its projected spending without impacting services). 

There are no other changes to the budget for services to people with developmental disabilities in any Department.  .

To see what the Governor’s total proposal is, go to:

http://www.state.nj.us/treasury/news/2009/p091222a.pdf

Thank you to all the advocacy organizations and to the individuals who contacted the Governor, Commissioner of Human Services, and the Legislature urging them not to cut services.  Your actions made a difference.

The Governor has announced $400 million in mid-year budget cuts. Each Department is being asked to come up with its share of the cuts. The Department of Human Services is the largest Department in the State. It is unclear how much the Department or the Division of Developmental Disabilities is being asked to cut.

We need to let the Governor and the Department of Human Services know that DD services cannot be cut!!!

We are urging: No Cuts to Services for People with Developmental Disabilities.

It is easy- use this link to send your email: Action Alert

If the link does not work by clicking on it, cut and paste it into your web-browser.

For ABCD’s Talking Points click on Talking-Points-for-DHS-Forums (pdf).

ABCD as a member of the Developmental Disabilities Coalition is urging everyone to send letters to the Gubernatorial candidates as well as to Assembly candidates that requesting that there be no cuts to services for people with developmental disabilities.

To read the Action Alert Action Alert on No Cuts to Services to People with Developmental Disabilities.

To read the Flyer from Developmental Disabilities Coalition Flyer from the Developmental Disabilities Coalition on No Cuts to Services to People with Developmental Disabilities.

For a Sample Letter to send to candidates Sample Letter to Candidates on No Cuts to Services to People with Developmental Disabilities.

ABCD’s advocacy for the budget focuses on issues at the Department of Health and Senior Services and at the Department of Human Services.

ABCD has provided testimony at the Department of Human Services’ Budget Forum. To read our testimony ABCD Testimony at Department of Human Services Budget Forum.

• ABCD also has a brief budget paper related to the Division of Developmental Disabilities’ budget. To read the paper ABCD Budget Brief on the Division of Developmental Disabilities.
• ABCD also has a brief budget paper related to the Early Intervention Program at the Department of Health and Senior Services. To read the paper ABCD Budget Brief on the Early Intervention Program.
• A Medicaid Buy-in for Children with Disabilities is a possibility in New Jersey. For more information see the brief paper that explains the Medicaid option that New Jersey may choose to cover children with disabilities whose family’s income is too high for Medicaid Eligibility. To read the paper Medicaid Buy-in for Children with Disabilities a Possibility in New Jersey.

For more information on the budget click Governor Corzine’s Proposed FY 2008 Budget (updated on February 27, 2007)

More than 1,000 people came to the State House on May 31st to let the Governor and the Legislature know that community providers needed a 4.1% increase in the budget for their contracts. Keep up the advocacy on the Cost of Providing Care with your Legislators.

The Cost of Providing Care Coalition has compiled data from a state-wide survey on the need for a Cost of Providing Care increase. For information on the survey click Data on the Cost of Providing Care.

The Cost of Providing Care Coalition has developed charts showing the actual cost of providing care increases for providers since Fiscal Year 1996 and the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for Urban Workers in the North East along with what the Cost of Providing Care increase would have been if A 1996, a bill requiring that the Governor’s budget include a Cost of Providing Care increase was enacted. For the table click Table on the Consumer Price Index and the Cost of Providing Care.