From the Modesto Bee:

Some California healthcare advocates say the state’s budget deal cuts too deeply into safety net programs for poor people and those with disabilities.

Disability advocates estimate that 40,000 seniors and people with disabilities would lose caregivers, and 85,000 would lose domestic services, such as meal preparation, laundry, or transportation to medical appointments. The services are funded by the In-Home Supportive Services program, which provides home services for about 425,00 people with disabilities. Advocates say state-funded home care has proven to be far less expensive than caring for the same people in nursing homes.

Earlier posts here.

From the Redding [CA] Record Searchlight:

Thousands of elderly and disabled Californians stand to lose the state-funded help they need to stay in their homes, thanks to proposed cuts in California’s budget.

Claire “Betty” Berg, of Redding, CA, says the cuts mean she may be forced into a nursing facility — which would cost the state much more than it pays now for the aide worker who supports her at home. She urges people to speak up and advocate for themselves.

See also:

• Javier’s story: Disabled man feels pain of CA budget cuts — BakersfieldNOW.com
• Details of agreement to close California budget deficit — San Jose Mercury News

From the [Salt Lake City] Deseret News:

Forty members of the disability rights advocacy group ADAPT have been blocking the Democratic Party’s national headquarters in Washington, seeking support for the Community Choice Act. Other members of the group have been staging protests in state Democratic Party headquarters around the country.

The measure would allow people with disabilities who are receiving Medicaid benefits the ability to choose between nursing home care and long-term support services in the community.

See also: Obama backs helping hand for long-term care — NPR/Kaiser Health News

From the New York Times editorial board:

Home care aides, who typically assist elderly and disabled clients, are among the most underpaid and overworked people in the work force, say the editors. Most make less than $10 an hour and are routinely denied overtime pay. As a result, those who rely on caregivers are plagued by low quality care and high turnover, while the public gets the bill for food stamps and other forms of public assistance.

The editors call on the Labor Department to issue a rule that would require home care employers to pay such workers the federal minimum wage or time and a half for overtime. The process of issuing a new rule includes a comment period, generally three months. An excerpt:

Home care aides should not have to wait any longer than that for the fair pay they have been denied for so long.

In a press release timed to coincide with the tenth anniversary of the Supreme Court’s landmark Olmstead decision, President Obama announced the launch of “The Year of Community Living,” an effort to assist Americans with disabilities.

The initiative is aimed at improving access for people with disabilities to housing, community supports, and independent living arrangements. The White House release pledged an increase in the number of Section 8 housing vouchers, as well as enhanced coordination between officials at the departments of Health and Human Services and Housing and Urban Development.

From the release:

“The Olmstead ruling was a critical step forward for our nation, articulating one of the most fundamental rights of Americans with disabilities: Having the choice to live independently,” said President Obama. “I am proud to launch this initiative to reaffirm my Administration’s commitment to vigorous enforcement of civil rights for Americans with disabilities and to ensuring the fullest inclusion of all people in the life of our nation.”

Disability rights advocates have criticized Obama recently for backing off his campaign promise to endorse the Community Choice Act, legislation that would give Medicaid recipients equal access to services in the community and help them live independently outside of institutions. The administration recently said it would not address the issue as part of its proposed health care overhaul.

The Supreme Court’s 1996 decision in Olmstead v. L.C. held that unjustified segregation of individuals with disabilities in institutions is a form of discrimination prohibited by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

See also:

• HUD to offer assistance to 4,000 Americans with disabilities (press release.) The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development has announced plans to offer rental assistance to 4,000 non-elderly families with disabilities, including 1,000 vouchers specifically targeted to those transitioning out of nursing homes and other care facilities.
• Sens. Harkin, Kennedy introduce legislation to commemorate Olmstead decision (press release)
• Obama boosts in-home services for the disabled – ProPublica.com

From ProPublica/St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

A decade after the Supreme Court handed down a landmark ruling aimed at helping people with disabilities move out of institutions, hundreds of thousands of people who want to live on their own are still waiting to be released from nursing homes, rehab centers and state hospitals.

Disability rights advocates worry that President Obama won’t deliver on his promise to give more people with disabilities the option to live at home. Some 270,000 nursing home residents surveyed recently said they would prefer community-based services, and advocates say demand is rising as baby boomers increasingly demand alternatives to nursing home care.

“If you can’t hear the thunderstorm coming, you’re not listening,” said disability advocate Mark Johnson of Atlanta. Living at home “is what people would want for themselves and their families.”

Today marks the tenth anniversary of the Supreme Court decision in Olmstead v. L.C., which held that the unnecessary segregation of individuals with disabilities in institutions may constitute discrimination based on disability. The Court said limiting services for Medicaid recipients to institutional settings was a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

See also:

• Tenth anniversary of freedom for people with disabilities, by Mike Ervin in The Progressive
• Columbus rally to celebrate disability ruling — Columbus [GA] Ledger-Inquirer

Earlier posts here.

From the Wall Street Journal:

Sen. Edward Kennedy has included a measure for a new disability insurance program for all American workers as part of the broader healthcare reform legislation he is preparing to introduce.

Early reports said the measure would include the following provisions:

• All workers, unless they opt out, would be charged a premium to give them a basic level of protection in case they become disabled.
• Recipients would be allowed to collect benefits while remaining in their homes and continuing to work.

“Like all Americans, millions of senior citizens and persons with disabilities want to lead full and independent lives,” Mr. Kennedy said in a statement. “Our health reform legislation will make that possible. By providing access to long-term care and services, our legislation will enable our most vulnerable citizens to remain in their own homes and contribute to their communities.”