Some Highlights From the Governor’s 2012 Budget Submission

• The Governor’s budget level-funds most of the Elder Affairs line items at the level of the FY 2011 budget as it finally ended up after the restorations of federal matching funds (FMAP) and the supplemental budget.
• One notable exception, however, is the home care purchased services account (1630), which drops from $101.68 million to $96.781 million, a loss of $4.9 million (the FMAP restoration and supplemental funding was removed), or a drop of -4.8%. This line item is one of the more popular on Beacon Hill, and we hope to lift it back to at least the FY 2011 level.
• The Prescription Advantage program (1455) lost the most money: $9.88 million in funding. But EOEA indicates that current benefits levels in the program should be maintained, because more coverage under the donut hole is being picked up by the federal government. In FY12, the Prescription Advantage program will receive considerable cost relief from provisions in the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Despite a 31% (9.9m) decrease from FY11 funding levels, the FY11 Prescription Advantage Benefit design remains fully intact. There are no changes being made to the Prescription Advantage program.
• The protective services/elder abuse account is level funded at $15.25 million. Mass Home Care has made this elder abuse line item its top funding priority for the spring budget session. 53 new reports of elder abuse are received every day, and spending on child abuse and domestic violence is 31 times greater than elder abuse.
• The Enhance Community home care Program (ECOP) and care management accounts are also level-funded.
• The meals on wheels, supportive housing, Councils on Aging, and supportive housing line items are all level funded at 2011 levels.
• In the MassHealth accounts, the Adult Day Health programs are going to be restructured so that only “complex” clients are accepted into the program. This is a serious change that may require legislative advocacy to restore.

“In general, we appreciate the Governor’s commitment to home care for the elderly expressed in this budget,” Mass Home Care Executive Director Al Norman said. “We were braced for the worst---so we can live with these numbers.”