SAN DIEGO, CA (May 13, 2011) – State Senator Juan Vargas (D-San Diego) led a rally and press conference Friday at the San Diego County Administration Building to protect the In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program, in advance of the Governor’s release of his newest State budget proposal, the “May revise,” on Monday, May 16.  

“No more cuts to In-Home care!” exclaimed Vargas.  “It’s our moral duty and job as legislators, to fight to protect seniors and the infirmed while making fiscally responsible decisions in the best interest of our state. Forcing seniors into nursing homes would impact our budget by increasing the cost of care by more than five times what it costs to keep them in their own homes.”

Senator Vargas was joined by seniors and disabled recipients of IHSS, and community leaders representing more than 30 organizations, to urge the Governor and Legislature to protect In-Home Supportive Services from any additional cuts.  Some of the organizations represented included Access to Independence, AARP, Disability Rights Center, Interfaith Community for Worker Justice, and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Other speakers included: Rabbi Laurie Coskey, Lei-Chala Wilson, Esq. of the NAACP, and Connie Soucy from Access to Independence

“Our California Legislature worked in a bipartisan manner just a few months ago to support alternatives to the IHSS cuts in order to ensure that our residents were protected and that savings to the State were delivered,” stated Vargas.  “We’ve kept our commitment, now it’s time for the Governor to do the same.  Any additional cuts to In-Home care are imprudent, immoral and unacceptable!”

A bipartisan group of legislators worked together in January 2011 to find alternatives to cutting the IHSS program.  The alternatives included:

• A mandate for the state’s participation in the new Community First Choice Option available under Federal law as of October 1, 2011 (estimated savings of $128 million);
• The elimination of the mandate and most of state funding for IHSS Advisory Committees (estimated savings of $1.4 million); and
• A mandate for the implementation of the Medication Dispensing Pilot Project beginning July 1, 2011. The goal of the pilot is to reduce hospitalization and institutionalization resulting from medication noncompliance among high-risk Medicaid recipients. There is a stipulation that should the requisite savings not be achieved by July 1, 2012, there will be a mandatory across the board reduction in service hours for all IHSS recipients (estimated savings of $140 million).

Vargas represents the 40^th California State Senate District which includes the southern portion of San Diego County, portions of Riverside County, all of Imperial County, and California’s entire US/Mexico border.  Vargas represented the 79^th California State Assembly District from 2000 – 2006 and served on the San Diego City Council from 1993 – 2000. 

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