Letter to AARP Members Regarding Long-Term Care Spending in PA Budget
By: State: Pennsylvania | Source: aarp.org
Dear AARP Member,
I am writing to you to let you know how the 2008-9 spending plan recently approved by Governor Rendell and the state legislature missed another opportunity to help older Pennsylvanians receive the care and services they need to remain in the community and avoid being forced into a nursing home. Even worse, however, is that this budget raided the state lottery fund for more than $300 million and essentially ignored many important senior assistance programs.
The days leading up to the final budget agreement included the usual wheeling and dealing, with most of the serious negotiations taking place behind closed doors. In fact, no one except the key negotiators—including most legislators themselves—learned exactly what was in the final budget deal until 18 hours before the vote was jammed through on the 4th of July.
When the fireworks ended, Pennsylvanians learned that the Rendell administration and legislative leaders drained the lottery fund to help balance the General Fund budget. Specifically, the Governor and General Assembly agreed to channel more than $290 million in lottery proceeds to plug a hole in the Medicaid long-term care budget and spend more than $9 million on administrative expenses for the Department of Aging—expenses previously located in the state's General Fund budget. While the Governor and General Assembly believe moving the money is within the law, the fact is they're taking from the lottery so tax dollars in the General Fund can be spent elsewhere.
What's more, over 75% of the Medicaid long term-care funding goes for nursing home care, which older Pennsylvanians simply don't want. In fact, our state ranks an embarrassing 47th nationally in the amount of Medicaid funding going to home and community care programs preferred by seniors. This budget does little to fix that problem.
The raid on the lottery fund also means no additional spending for struggling senior care programs that were specifically created to benefit from lottery proceeds. As a result:
- Waiting lists for home and community services will continue to grow (80% of PA counties already maintain waiting lists)
- Senior centers will be forced to cut services to stay open.
- Thousands of older Pennsylvanians won't receive the meals, transportation services, personal care and other services that can keep them from being forced into a nursing home.
By continually depending on lottery revenues to plug budget holes, the Rendell administration and the General Assembly have forgotten the lottery's commitment to Pennsylvania's senior community. Repeatedly ignoring lottery funded senior programs means state officials are certainly violating the spirit of the pact made 40 years ago that established older Pennsylvanians as the sole beneficiary of lottery proceeds.
Our state officials need to be reminded of the Lottery's mission to exclusively benefit older Pennsylvanians. In 2008, elections will be held for all 203 state representative seats and 25 of the 50 state senate seats. I encourage you to contact the candidates for these offices this fall, whether they currently serve in the General Assembly or not, and ask them for a commitment to use lottery funds to improve home and community care programs for seniors.
Sincerely,
Dick Chevrefils
State Director
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