| 1. |
Applicants for and current recipients of IHSS are required to obtain certification from a licensed health care professional declaring that the applicant or recipient is unable to perform one or more activities of daily living independently and that, without one or more IHSS services, the applicant or recipient is at risk of being placed in institutional care. |
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“Licensed heath care professional” is defined in the bill as “including, but not limited to, a physician, physician assistant, regional center clinician or clinician supervisor, occupational therapist, physical therapist, psychiatrist, psychologist, optometrist, ophthalmologist, or public health nurse” |
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This requirement will not apply to current IHSS recipients until the time of their next reassessment after July 1, 2011. |
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This policy is estimated to result in annual budget savings of $120 million |
| 2.. |
The Department of Health Care Services is required to determine whether it would be cost efficient for the state to participate in the new Community First Choice Option available under Federal law as of October 1, 2011. If it does participate in this option, the state will receive a six percent increase in federal matching funds for costs associated with covered home and community based services programs (such as IHSS). |
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This policy is estimated to result in annual budget savings of $128 million. |
| 3. |
Counties are no longer required to establish IHSS Advisory Committees. However, counties are free to create or retain such committees if they wish. |
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This policy is estimated to result in annual budget savings of $1.4 million. |
| 4. |
The Department of Health Care Services is required to implement the Medication Dispensing Pilot Project beginning July 1, 2011. They will identify eligible Medicaid recipients who meet certain criteria as being at a high risk of not taking their medications as prescribed. These recipients will participate in this pilot project on a voluntary basis. The department will purchase, install and monitor automated medication dispensing machines in participants’ homes. These machines will assist these recipients with taking their medication, thus avoiding costly hospitalization or institutional care. |
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Should the Department of Finance determine after July 1, 2012 –after reviewing relevant data–that the Medication Dispensing Pilot Project or alternative programs will not achieve the $140 million annual budget savings target, the Department of Social Services will be required to implement an across-the-board cut in IHSS authorized service hours beginning October 1, 2012. |
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This new project is estimated to result in annual budget savings of $140 million. |
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