California State Budget Cuts

NOTE: The information on budget cuts is accurate as of 5/13/08, but does not reflect any changes in the Governor's May Revision of the budget,
which is released on 5/14/08.

In Home Supportive Services (IHSS) Cuts

The IHSS program allows approximately 406,000 Californians who are people with disabilities or seniors to remain safely in their own homes, by providing domestic and personal care services. The Governor proposes to permanently reduce domestic and related services by 18% percent. These cuts would force IHSS consumers to go without crucial services such as meal preparation and clean-up, housekeeping, laundry, and food shopping. Many consumers will be unable to stay safely at home, and will be forced to enter nursing homes, with a cost to the state of about $60,000 annually, many times what their IHSS services cost.

Medi-Cal Provider Cuts

The Governor proposed a 10% cut in the rates paid to providers such as doctors, home health services and Adult Day Health Services. This will make it harder for people with disabilities who use Medi-Cal to get care, becausesome providers may stop serving people who use Medi-Cal. The legislature approved this cut, which is now being challenged in a lawsuit.

Medi-Cal Optional Benefits

The Governor proposes to eliminate dental services for adults, acupuncture, chiropractic services, speech and audiology services, optometry services, optician/optical laboratory services, podiatry services, psychology services, incontinence creams and washes. These services are crucial to health and independence. People getting Medi-Cal do not have money to buy these services and will be forced to go without, move into nursing homes, or go to emergency rooms when issues become a crisis.

SSI/ SSP COLA Suspension

About 1.3 million blind, aged and disabled persons rely on payments received from the SSI/ SSP program to meet basic living needs. The Governor proposes to eliminate the June 2008 and June 2009 State Cost of Living Adjustments (COLA's). In 13 of the past 18 years, the SSP COLA has either been suspended or reduced, while the buying power of the grant has continued to decrease substantially.