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CaliforniaHealthline

October 23, 2009

Recent injunction blocking in-home care cuts highlights impact of reducing safety-net care

Audio Report

On Oct. 19, a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order to prevent California from cutting services for participants in the state's In-Home Supportive Services program.

About 130,000 IHSS participants were scheduled to lose some or all services beginning Nov. 1 because of budget cuts approved this summer.

In a California Healthline Special Report by David Gorn, experts discussed how service reductions could affect health care access and quality for vulnerable populations.

The Special Report includes comments from:

  • Melinda Bird, chief counsel for Disability Rights California;
  • Laura Dunn, medical ethicist at UC-San Francisco; and
  • Joseph Hafkenschiel, president of the California Association for Health Services at Home.

The California attorney general's office said it plans to appeal the judge's decision (Gorn, California Healthline, 10/23).