Kathy McGeathy
The Disability Network
810-742-1800

The Michigan Quality Home Care Coalition made some serious noise in Lansing yesterday.  Our message: "Hands off home care!"

Best graphs from the article below:

Members of the committee had to come in through a line of picketers, and a packed committee room, seeking to avoid pay cuts for home care workers, as well as public health officials warning of loss of services in their communities.

"I love my clients," said Beverly Yanson, a worker in Wayne County.   "Even with five clients I can barely make ends meet.   If my wages were cut, I would have to quit.   My five clients would have to go to a nursing home.   They want to live out the rest of their lives in dignity.   They can't do that in a nursing home."

Others argued that the job often takes longer than regulations permit them to be paid.

The argued, at minimum, their pay should not be cut.

Sen. Deborah Cherry (D-Burton) urged pay increases for people who she said are not "getting really the wage they deserve. If we want to have quality care for our elderly, we need to pay a living wage to the people who provide those services."

The MQHCC brought 150+ to the hearing.  Mary Ablan told me that this was the first time she'd ever seen a DCH subcommittee hearing be closed by the police over fears that they'd get a fire marshall violation.  We filled another room across the street in the Farnum Building where overflow watched on TV.

Overall, decent event.  I heard afterwards from one of the senators on the subcommittee.  "You guys really made your point.  It was all anyone up there could talk about afterwards."

We're compiling all our photos and video, which will be posted today to http://www.mihomecare.org 

And the fight goes on.

-B-


Gongwer Capitol News Service

May 3, 2007

HOME HEALTH WORKERS, PUBLIC HEALTH SEEK MORE FUNDING

Home health care workers and public health officials urged the Senate Appropriations Community Health Subcommittee to add to, rather than cut, funding for the Department of Community Health for both the current and coming fiscal years.

Members of the committee had to come in through a line of picketers, and a packed committee room, seeking to avoid pay cuts for home care workers, as well as public health officials warning of loss of services in their communities.

The bill (HB 4344*), which is still technically before the House Appropriations Committee, provides $11.5 billion ($2.99 billion general fund) as reported from the House subcommittee.

Home care workers and their patients argued that, should the cuts passed in March as part of the Senate efforts to patch the current year budget hole be implemented, more people will have to be placed in nursing homes because the workers will need to find other work.   The current budget provided a minimum $7 per hour and provided a 50-cent increase for those making more than that, but the Senate-passed budget cuts eliminated that wage increase.

"I love my clients," said Beverly Yanson, a worker in Wayne County.   "Even with five clients I can barely make ends meet.   If my wages were cut, I would have to quit.   My five clients would have to go to a nursing home.   They want to live out the rest of their lives in dignity.   They can't do that in a nursing home."

Others argued that the job often takes longer than regulations permit them to be paid.

The argued, at minimum, their pay should not be cut.

Sen. Deborah Cherry (D-Burton) urged pay increases for people who she said are not "getting really the wage they deserve. If we want to have quality care for our elderly, we need to pay a living wage to the people who provide those services."

Both workers and patients noted it is not just the elderly receiving the care.   Home workers also provide care to those with disabilities and mental illness.

The state also needs to find additional funds for the public health system, said Jean Chabut, director of the Public Health Administration.   While the Public Health Code requires the state to match communities in their public health spending dollar for dollar, she said the state is some $20 million short of meeting that goal.   She said the $40 million the state now spends on local public health has been flat for several years.

And overall funding for public health has dropped to about $98 million for 2007-08 from $133 million in 2001-02.

"Our public health system in the state is getting dangerously stressed," Ms. Chabut said.

And she said the local departments have looked for savings.   She noted the total number of health departments has dropped to 45 from 50 as a way of reducing administrative costs.   They are also looking at ways of sharing or combining programs to reduce administrative costs without physically consolidating.

She noted that consolidations can also be a detriment.   While a larger agency needs fewer administration workers, it may also need fewer facilities, meaning those who need services have to travel further.

Public health programs will take a further hit from the elimination of the Healthy Michigan Fund.   The cuts will mean the end of many of the department's chronic disease outreach programs, Ms. Chabut said, including programs on diabetes

"Not only do we lose the state resources, but we also lose the ability to match federal funds," she said.

She and others noted those chronic care outreach programs are important given that of the top 10 causes of death in the state, most are chronic diseases.   Number one remains heart disease.

A variety of school officials also joined the call for additional funds, noting that the elimination of the Healthy Michigan Fund as proposed for the 2007-08 budget would eliminate health education funding under the Michigan Model for Comprehensive School Health.

"Our small programs are reaping some amazing results," said Robert Miner from Tuscola Intermediate School District.   Not only has the ISD used the funds for prevention programs on drug and alcohol use, but has also provided direct nutrition education to families in the region and provided security equipment in schools.

MEDICAID CUTS:  At the same time, hospitals and physicians were in Lansing protesting Governor Jennifer Granholm's proposed cuts in Medicaid reimbursement rates.

Cutting payments to Medicaid will hurt residents and health care in the state, a group of hospital officials, doctors and health care providers said at a rally at the Capitol Thursday.

Ms. Granholm announced last week that Medicaid providers would receive a 6 percent cut in provider fees effective June 1 unless a budget plan is approved. Ms. Granholm said she was forced to make the cuts because the state Legislature for not doing enough to fix the state's budget deficit.

Spencer Johnson, president of he Michigan Health and Hospital Association, said cutting Medicaid will end health care for thousands of children, disabled residents and seniors.

The state's Medicaid caseload is near a record high of 1.6 million people, a 41 percent increase since 1999, so cuts would put the system under even more strain, the groups said.

"When a physician has no choice but to close the doors and leave a community, everyone losses access to health care," said Dr. AppaRao Mukkamala, president of the Michigan State Medical Society. "We already have cut Medicaid to the bone.  Any more cuts will go into the marrow."

The groups also pointed to a survey released in February by the Michigan Hospital Association that said more cuts to state health care programs would cause around 4,000 residents to lose their health care jobs and hospitals would have to delay or reduce programs and projects that help residents.


Hospitals, home health care workers protest cuts
5/3/2007, 4:19 p.m. ET
By TIM MARTIN
The Associated Press          

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan health care providers on Thursday urged lawmakers to come up with a solution to avoid Medicaid payment cuts scheduled to take effect June 1.

Home health care workers also rallied in Lansing, protesting suggested budget cuts that would trim their wages and hours.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm this week told hospitals and doctors that they will get 6 percent less for treating low-income or disabled patients unless lawmakers quickly approve a tax increase or come up with a different way to cover the costs. She blamed the possible cuts, similar to those planned for schools, on legislative inaction.

Michigan Republican Party chairman Saul Anuzis this week said Granholm is "extorting Michigans most vulnerable citizens as a way to lobby for unnecessary tax increases."

At a Capitol press conference, health care providers said thousands of Michigan children, the elderly and disabled could have their quality of care reduced if the Medicaid cuts take effect.

"Our message is this is a matter of life and death," said Spencer Johnson, president of the Michigan Health and Hospital Association, which represents the state's 146 nonprofit hospitals.

About one in seven Michigan residents is covered by Medicaid. Health care providers fear more doctors will stop seeing Medicaid patients because they lose money on reimbursement rates.

Health care providers said the Medicaid cuts could lead to layoffs at hospitals and longer waits in emergency rooms and clinics.

Home health care workers marched through downtown Lansing and then filed into a state Senate committee hearing.

Earlier this year, the Republican-led Senate voted to save more than $15 million by reducing the wages and hours for privately-contracted home health workers who care for 40,000-plus low-income seniors and the disabled. The Senate plan would reduce wages for home care workers, already among the lowest-paid in the mental health system, to $7 per hour. It also would eliminate a 2-percent wage increase passed last year by the Michigan Legislature.

Beverly Yancey, a home health care worker from Detroit, worried the cuts would force more people out of the business and hurt the quality of care for patients.

"Our clients need more time and more care," she said. "This would only make it worse."

Democrats generally oppose the plan and Granholm likely would veto the bill if it ever reached her desk.

But it's still a topic of discussion as state leaders try to eliminate a budget deficit for this fiscal year that currently is estimated at about $700 million.

Granholm wants to raise taxes to avoid the health care and school funding cuts. Republicans have opposed a tax increase, including Granholm's stalled 2 percent tax on services.

House Democrats have voted to close a few of what they call tax loopholes, but they haven't endorsed a specific general tax increase, either.