Quick Links How To Get Help Contact Us Work For Us Events & Calendar

Donate: support PAI

Impact of California budget cuts on people with disabilities

Below are Disability Rights California’s position statements on the Governor’s Budget proposals in the areas of developmental disabilities, Medi-Cal, adult day healthcare, and mental health.

• Disability Rights California summarizes and comments on the Governor's May revise as it affects people with disabilities - Overall, the Governor’s budget helps people with disabilities stay in their own homes, with no new cuts to two of the most heavily used programs to support independence: In-Home Supportive Services and services for those with developmental disabilities. Read the rest of the press release here.
• Disability Rights California's Public Policy Recommendations February 2011 (2/14/11)
• Mental Health/Education Budget Letter (Updated 2/8/11)
• Developmental Disabilities Budget Letter (2/3/11)
• Mental Health/Education Budget Letter (1/31/11)
• Medi-Cal Cuts Opposition Letter (1/31/11)
• MSSP Elimination Opposition Letter (1/24/11)
• Disability Rights California pushes Department of Public Health to Protect Nursing Home Residents

  DRC submitted comments to the Department of Public Health, Licensing & Certification Division, in response to Senate Bill 852, requiring the Department to solicit feedback from stakeholders regarding a recent Bureau of State Audits (BSA) report. Read the BSA Fact Sheet Summary, BSA Summary, and BSA Full Report.

  Among other things, the BSA report exposed serious problems with the Department of Public Health’s failure to collect millions in fines and for allowing appeals to be dragged out by the nursing home industry, sometimes for years. 

  DRC’s investigations into nursing home abuse and neglect mirror the BSA report’s findings.  The Department of Public Health takes years to issue citations, even in extreme instances of neglect such as a resident choking to death after the nursing facility failed to initiate CPR or other life saving techniques; and a resident dying after cracking her head from a fall from a bed sling weakened by repeated washings in bleach. 

  DRC urges the Department of Public Health to adopt the BSA’s reform recommendations, and put in place additional measures to ensure that nursing home residents are protected. 

• Disability Rights California's Chart of Last Year's Final Budget Outcomes:
  View the 2010 budget summary and chart developed by Disability Rights California's Legislative and Public Information Unit (LPIU) (updated 10/27/10) See updates and the final outcomes of the Governor’s Budget, the May Revision, and the Conference Committee proposals. Read the glossary of some key terms (added 11/9/10) used in the chart.
• Preliminary analysis by Disability Rights California of 2010-11 Governor’s Proposed Budget, updated 2/26/10
• Disability Rights California Comments on FY 2010-11 State Budget Medi-Cal and Healthy Families Program Proposals, 1/25/10
• Opposition to the Proposal in the Governor’s Budget to eliminate Adult Day Health Care (ADHC), 1/25/10
• Disability Rights California Comments on FY 2010-11 State Budget Proposals Affecting People with Developmental Disabilities, 1/21/10
• Opposition to Using Mental Health Services Act Money to Fund the Mental Health Managed Care Program, 1/21/10
• Implementation of IHSS Program Changes Enacted in the FY 09-10 Budget, IHSS Coalition, 1/25/10

Disability related analyses of current budget proposal

• CA Budget Project issues comparison between budget positions of Governor, Assembly and Senate

  Read a point by point comparison of the three variations of the state budget, as of February 25. For disability-specific items, scroll down to the subtopics of realignment, health and human services.

• Western Center on Law & Poverty summarizes February 18 budget committee meetings: "On Friday, February 18 both the Assembly and Senate full budget committees met and voted for deep cuts to health and human services as well as other areas, including redevelopment funds that are designated for affordable housing." Western Center on Law and Poverty reviews in each area what the Governor proposed and what action each budget committee took.
• Back to the Future: How Do the Budget Plans Compare? A two-house Budget Conference Committee began meeting on February 23 to reconcile differences between the Assembly and Senate versions of the 2011-12 budget, which aim to close a $26.6 billion budget gap. A new CBP analysis -- an easy-to-read table -- compares key differences among the budget plans proposed by the Governor, Assembly, and Senate.

Related Publications

• In Home Supportive Services (IHSS): summary of budget cuts and program changes (#F047.01 10/27/10)
• Searching for Balance: An Analysis of Key Provisions of the 2010-11 Budget Agreement
• The California Budget Summary. More can be found at www.cbp.org.
• Comments on the draft provider request form to use post office box as a mailing address, 8/11/10
• California’s 1115 Medicaid Waiver Renewal: Advocates’ Remaining Concerns Regarding SPDs, 7/27/10

Helpful links and resources

Legislation and budget archive

Back to 'In the Legislature'

• All Rights Reserved @ 2005
• Last Updated: December 14, 2011
• Site Credits
• Infor@pai-ca.org
• 800.776.5746
• tty: 800.719.5798
• disclaimer