A few partial responses to comments made on this piece (0.00 / 0)
Thank you for taking the time to comment on this piece.
Here are a few partial responses:
(1) Regarding new revenues, I think we all have to take a breath and see what happens over the next few months. We may be fighting to offset the loss of the income tax after November 4 and we also need to see a little more of the recession to see where it is headed. The gas tax does deserve attention for a lot of reasons — environmental and equity reasons, in addition to sheer need for funds.
(2) Regarding the concerns expressed about some of the Governor’s specific cuts. Yup! I agree. Some of these are very troubling, although I know it is not easy to make cuts of the size necessary without doing some damage. Concerns should go directly to the Governor — these are not legislative decisions. I greatly appreciate Amberpaw’s work on the children and family issues. I’m also a big believer in home care and day care for persons in vulnerable positions. Often these programs create great savings. I gather that some of the mental health day treatment cuts have been rescinded. This is very good news.
3) Regarding waste in the health care system. Can’t judge it from where I sit, but everyone seems to agree that health care cost control is a high priority. It’s a huge challenge!
Here is some detail regarding the DMH cuts (which as to the day care programs have been at least partially rescinded). This detail was prepared by my aide, Barbara Miranda.
For the Department of Mental Health, the scope of the Governor’s 9C cuts totals $33.5 million spread over most of the accounts and the Agency was also required to reduce spending by an additional $6 million. DMH was allowed to access $24.2 million in funds from the trust accounts to mitigate the impact of these reductions.
Reductions in services will occur in the areas of:
1. DMH personnel: $3.5 million
2. Adult community services: $3.7 million
3. Various child/adolescent community services: $1.2 million
4. Inpatient pharmacy savings: $300,000
5. Elimination of earmarks $650,000
To accomplish the reductions in adult community services, the Department is eliminating selected day services and community programs. The three selected programs are Day Rehab, SEE and Social Clubs. Within this there is also a $1 million reduction in funding to clubhouses.
The goal of the Department is to maintain core essential services for consumers with the highest levels of acuity, maintain services that provide or support consumer housing, and maintain consumer and public safety.
The Department anticipates that affected consumers will be referred to the continuing community programs.Will Brownsberger
State Representative
24th Middlesex
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by: willbrownsberger@gmail.com @ Thu Oct 23, 2008 at 16:23:12 PM EDT
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Further clarification on the day programs (0.00 / 0)
From my aide, Barbara Miranda:
The 3 programs, clubhouses and the other two, that are strictly DMH remain cut. Under MassHealth, providers contract for day treatment programs and partial hospitalization for people on Medicaid. The Governor cut that. Commissioner Bigby and the MassHealth strongly petitioned for the MassHealth day treatment and partial hospitalization program that is reimbursed to MasssHealth by Medicaid to be restored because not to do so and leave that population without any service is vastly more expensive in the long run. A&F has agreed and is doing the paperwork now.
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p>Go go Reppie Browns!