Families Begin AFC Emergency Rule Push Back
Family Comments on the AFC 14 Day Respite Care Cut
Names are changed to respect privacy

These are comments from families, some sent to ADDP and some sent as testimony to   
masshealthpublicnotice@state.ma.us 

""We can't survive 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year without a break.  This is a cruel and unfair cut."  Jean H.

"This cut is unfair.  Why is cutting respite for caregivers considered an emergency?  There was no notice and no public hearing?  Why is this happening?"  Cheryl O

"Many caregivers are devastated by this cut as the 14 days of respite they  have from the 24/7/365 care is critical to their own physical and mental health."
Kelsey L.

"The  14 days of  Relieve/ Respite  at $ 50.00  a Day is a small Price for the State  to pay.  To let us have some  relief of  24/ 7/ & 365 days !!

Please  re think about these  State cuts  before Taking away what little  we get for being  care givers !!!"    Liz and Francis G     

 

"Taking the proposed 9c AFC respite cut removes a much needed life line away from families".  Bill R.  

 

"Its reprehensible that a two week allotment for respite for a family that cares for a client of the state, is being withheld. I think any person serving the state should be allowed a two week "time off" for personal time, illness, bereavement, etc..... The Adult Foster care family is serving 24/7 with no time off. They are saving the state MILLIONS of dollars and the state would take away from them this benefit"  Blaire B. 

 
AFC Families Describe How 9C Cut will hurt their family caregiving

 

Late last month Mass Health Assistant Secretary Daniel Tsai filed an emergency rule with the Secretary of State's office seeking to end the ability of Adult Foster Care providers and caregivers to be able to bill for 14 days of respite relief per year.

 

 

Adult Foster Care is an alternative residential choice for people with disabilities or elders, who live in the home of a primary care giver, who in exchange for providing 24/hour-7Day supports receive either $9000 or $18,000 a year (dependent on the individual intensity of disability).  Caregivers had been able to bill for 14 days a year at $50 per day for an alternative provider or respite worker to give them 2 weeks off per year.  This is the benefit Mass Health is now trying to eliminate to save $1.75 million to $3.5 million per year out of what the Administration calls a $1.8 Billion budget imbalance.

 

Mass Health has requested public input to be submitted by May 22, 2015

 

Daniel Tsai
Assistant Secretary
for Mass Health 
EOHHS  
One Ashburton Place, Room 1109  
Boston, MA 02108
 
or by e-mail to:


 masshealthpublicnotice@state.ma.us