Begin forwarded message: > From: VCDR <[log in to unmask]> > Date: November 20, 2008 5:22:24 PM EST > Subject: VCDR Alert: Next Round of Program Cuts to be Announced Dec. 1 > > To: VCDR Alert List > From: Deborah Lisi-Baker, VCDR President > > Bleak Economic Forecast Leads to New Call for Program Cuts > > As we expected, the economic forecast on Nov. 18 was very grim, with > a $42 million loss for FY 2009 and potentially twice that for 2010. > State agencies have been told to identify 6 percent cuts in their > budgets. However, some state administrators say that the immediate > cuts could be closer to 12 percent to make up for lost federal match > funds and the timing of this reduction. > > Agency of Human Services departments have been told to have their > suggestions for how to meet these cuts into the Secretary's Office > by Monday morning and that the Governor and his administrative staff > will be reporting their revised budget on Dec. 1. I expect that both > Joint Fiscal and the Health Access Oversight legislative committees > will be among the legislative committees considering the impact of > this new proposal. > > The legislative Joint Fiscal Committee has promised that there will > be pubic hearings to get broader input but there is a lot of > pressure from the Administration to move before the legislative > session. This raises major concerns because the Joint Fiscal > Committee is not authorized to make substantive cuts that result in > major policy change. In addition, the many outgoing legislators want > to make sure that the outgoing legislative committees do not make > decisions that should be made by the newly elected Legislature which > convenes in January. > > Many organizations are asking both the Administration and the > Legislature to exercise caution in implementing this next round of > cuts and to look for revenue solutions and other efficiencies that > will lessen direct service cuts. Even with this approach, the impact > of these cuts is likely to radically change Vermont's disability and > senior programs and other services that Vermonters depend on. > > At its Board of Governors meeting earlier this month, VCDR agreed to > advocate for programs that benefit individuals with disabilities: > including Medicaid health benefits, developmental services funds, > mental health funding, home access funds, EPSDT, the Attendant > Services Program, other respite and personal care programs, and > funding for peer run programs. We will also be working with the > Administration and Legislature for approaches that minimize the > effect on essential direct services and rights protection programs. > > Many VCDR member organizations and other concerned groups are asking > that the decision on budget cuts be taken up by the full General > Assembly and not be carried out by a committee of the Legislature. > We are also asking for greater public deliberation and for > leadership that considers the multiple impact of diverse budget cuts > on vulnerable Vermonters. We will let you know as we get more > information. Please check our Web site, call us at 223-6140, or e- > mail us at [log in to unmask] > > Also, share your concerns with your local legislators. Contact > information can be found at: > > http://www.leg.state.vt.us/legdir/legdir2.htm > > Federal Stimulus Package Could Help Reduce State Shortfall > > Many Vermonters are calling our Congressional Delegation to ask them > NOT TO WAIT TILL JANUARY to take immediate action to change the > current federal state match ratio for Medicaid programs. This > morning Josh Slen, director of the Office of Vermont Health Access, > said that a 4 percent increase in the federal payment for Medicaid > could save the state as much as $24 million. This proposal is part > of a proposed economic stimulus package now being considered by > Congress. The improved match does not solve Vermont's revenue > problem, but makes a significant improvement in what is otherwise a > very frightening picture. > > Your Calls Can Help - Call Now to Ask for Quick Passage of an > Improved Medicaid Match Rate > > If you want to help advocate for quick passage of the improved > federal match rate, please call: > > Senators Leahy 1-800-642-3193 > Senator Sanders 1-800-339-9834 > Representative Welch 1-888-605-7270 > > TODAY if possible or as soon as you can. > > Tell them to vote for increasing the federal match money for > Medicaid. This will help reduce service reductions in Vermont's > Medicaid programs, including many of the disability and health care > services Vermonters depend on. > ____________________ Susan M. Ryan, Ph.D. Executive Director and Professor University of Vermont Center on Disability and Community Inclusion 311 Mann Hall 208 Colchester Ave. Burlington, VT 05405-1757 phone: 802-656-1143 fax: 802-656-1357 web: http://www.uvm.edu/~cdci [log in to unmask]