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| Governor Proposes Program Cuts |
Earlier this month Governor Schwarzenegger released his proposed state budget for fiscal year 2008-2009, which includes cuts to many programs throughout the state of California, including the In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) Program. If passed in its current form, the Governor's proposal would cut $110 million from IHSS by reducing hours authorized for non-medical domestic and related services to recipients by 18%. These services include meal preparation, meal clean-up, laundry, food shopping, errands, and similar services. The proposal would also cut $10.2 million from funds used for county administration of the IHSS Program. In addition, the Governor's proposal would suspend the SSI/SSP Cost Of Living Adjustments (COLA) that are set to go into effect in June 2008 and June 2009.
The Governor's proposed budget must be approved by both the State Assembly and Senate before being enacted. This is a lengthy process that usually results in the passage of a revised budget sometime in the summer. PASC will continue to monitor the progress of Governor Schwarzenegger's proposal and will provide updates in future editions of PASC E-News. |
| Advance Pay for IHSS Consumers |
| Advance pay is a payment option available to In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) consumers with severe disabilities. A consumer is determined severely disabled if he/she receives 20 or more hours of personal care services per week. Consumers on Advance Pay receive a check for provider wages at the beginning of each month and are then responsible to pay their provider(s) directly. If you receive IHSS and believe that you meet the above requirement, contact your social worker to inquire about the Advance Pay option. |
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Resource Spotlight: Braille Institute |
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The Braille Institute provides recreational, social, and educational programs and services to over 50,000 individuals with limited or no vision per year. The Institute operates five locations in Southern California and provides free services such as educational and skills training classes, low-vision exams and devices, and community outreach programs for older adults with vision loss in later life. In addition, the Braille Institute is the Southern California distributor for the National Library Service, providing books and magazines in both large print and on audio tapes.
For more information contact the Los Angeles Office of the Braille Institute at 323-663-1111 or visit them on the web at www.brailleinstitute.org. |
| Selecting a Medicare Part D Plan |
For individuals who have both Medicare and Medi-Cal benefits, Medicare will pay for certain prescription drugs through Medicare Part D. In order to receive coverage you must sign up for a Medicare drug plan. There are several aspects to keep in mind when selecting a drug plan, such as:
q How much is the plan's premium?
q Does the plan cover all of the prescription drugs that you take?
q Does the plan have restrictions such as the necessity to receive prior authorization on drugs that are covered?
q Are there pharmacies in the plan that are easy for you to access?
If you have full Medi-Cal (without a share-of-cost), you can change to another Medicare drug plan once a month. Also, Medi-Cal may pay for other products that Medicare does not cover, such as vitamins, over-the-counter drugs, anti-anxiety medications and sedatives.
If you need assistance or have questions regarding Medicare drug coverage, you can call The Center for Health Care Rights, which provides free information related to Medicare, at 800-824-0780.
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| Resource Spotlight: Rancho Los Amigos |
Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center is a medical rehabilitation hospital for individuals with disabling injuries and/or illness. The Center's mission is to provide treatment and education that helps patients return home and lead productive lives. Some of the services available at the Center are the Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Program which treats patients with spinal cord injuries, the Adult Brain Injury Program which provides complete rehabilitation to individuals with brain injuries, and the Gerontology program which provides inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation services to seniors who have disabling medical, surgical, and neurological disorders such as strokes, Parkinson's disease, and fractures.
For more information on programs and services provided by Rancho Los Amigos, call the center at 877- 726-2461. |
| Do you have questions about PASC and the IHSS Program? Do you have suggestions for topics to be covered in the PASC E-News? Send your questions and suggestions to e-news@pascla.org. PASC E-News is designed for you to get the information that you need! |
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