Send short and simple notes to Rep. Huntley and Sen. Berglin
Sen. Linda Berglin’s proposed Health and Human Services Budget Bill zeroed out cuts to all long term care providers. Berglin, who chairs the Senate HHS funding division, released her recommendations this morning. The actual bill will not be released until Monday.
Her recommendation to not cut us comes on the heels of the House taking the same no-cut position. While decisions like these are fiscal, they ultimately are political. All your contacts with legislators made this happen! Outstanding work!
Berglin pays for this and other positive provisions through a combination of reductions in other areas and increases in Medicaid surcharges, including ICFs/MR, that draw down federal money while leaving most providers harmless. Like the House she also is counting on $408 million from and extension of the enhanced Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP). The U.S. House of Representatives has not yet acted on that extension.
There are several other positive measures in the bill:
Rehab therapies: Maintains coverage of OT, PT, and speech therapy that the governor’s budget eliminated for adults.
Critical access dental: Reinstates some of the money eliminated in the governor’s unallotment and proposed budget.
ICF/MR variable rate: Buys back the governor’s unallotment of variable rate funding for ICFs/MR.
ICF/MR surcharge: Increases the current surcharge and increases operating rates to providers. To break even providers would have to average 95 percent occupancy. While this may not seem like a good thing, it helped significantly in bringing the rate cut to zero and absolutely in getting rid of the variable rate.
Mental health: Preserves much of the funding that the House bill reduces or eliminates. This will be a significant area for compromise when the bills get to conference committee.
PCA: The bill increases funding for additional hours. (We won’t know exactly what and how until we see the bill Monday.)
Not everything is rosy, however. While this is a very positive bill for ARRM members, there are some cuts and changes Berglin makes to achieve her target of saving $114 million in the general fund. (We speculate that the lower-than-the-House target means the Senate will make a small cut in K-12 education, most likely out of the department rather than money to schools.)
Here are some of the bill’s downside for us:
Waiver limits: Like the House bill, the Senate imposes additional one-year limits on TBI, CADI and DD.
State Operated Services Redesign: Among the elements, the bill would set in motion the conversion of current METO beds to SOCS. The House bill takes similar action and would set up an advisory group to make redesign recommendations to the legislature by Dec. 15, 2010. The author of this provision has agreed to an amendment that would put an ARRM representative on the group.
Housing with services: Fees would be increased and new procedures would be imposed for people in transition.
Indirect hits: Some cuts (like CSSA grants to counties) would have an indirect impact on some ARRM member services.
We were surprised that the Senate didn’t impose a small cut on our rates to give Sen. Berglin additional negotiating room on the overall bill. Don’t count any chickens yet, but usually it is very difficult to make a cut that isn’t in the House or Senate bills. So, as of today, we’re in a very good position.
But, there are some wildcards that could change the picture:
- Gov. Pawlenty may very well view the surcharges in a final bill as a tax and decide to veto the entire measure.
- The Supreme Court could rule that the governor’s unallotments last June exceed his authority, throwing some or all of $2.7 billion back to the legislature.
- FMAP might not be passed in the U.S. House before the legislature has to adjourn on May 17th or, worse, ever.
ARRM is preparing a side-by-side comparison of the House and Senate bills that we will send out and post on our website.
Saying please and thank you
Our mothers taught us to say “thank you” as well as “please.” While it may seem strange to be grateful for getting nothing (like a COLA), the truth is that both Rep. Huntley and Sen. Berglin spared us from cuts. Other constituencies were not so fortunate. It never hurts to show legislators that you appreciate that they heard your message.
Our grassroots team will prepare messages for all legislators, but right now we suggest that you and your people prepare very short handwritten notes to Rep. Huntley and Sen. Berglin thanking them for sparing caregivers, providers and people with disabiites from rate cuts. Keep it simple, but say what this means to you and the individuals you support.
Rep. Tom Huntley
Minnesota House of Representatives
585 State Office Building
St. Paul, MN 55155
Sen. Linda Berglin
Minnesota Senate
309 State Capitol
St. Paul, MN 55155