Q&A: In-home care changes take effect today

Published online on Monday, Nov. 02, 2009

Budget-cutting changes to the state's In-Home Supportive Services program begin today, affecting thousands of low-income seniors and disabled people and their caregivers.

Budget-related legislation requires the Department of Social Services to cut $82.1 million in program costs this year.

Does a federal lawsuit stop the cuts and program changes scheduled to start today?

It stops only some changes. A restraining order issued Oct. 19 by Judge Claudia Wilken halted a plan that would have eliminated or reduced care for 130,000 recipients because of their scores on a physical and mental index.

Does the out-of-pocket cost increase for some recipients of in-home care?

Yes. As of Oct. 1, some recipients had to assume responsibility for more of their caregiver's wages to get care. Wages are also paid with a combination of state, federal and county money. Recipients should have already been notified of the change.

As part of an anti-fraud plan aimed at saving money, will caregivers have to go through a new anti-fraud registration and fingerprinting requirement starting today?

Current caregivers of registered recipients will have until next July 1 to go through the new process.

An average of 6,000 to 7,000 people apply each month to receive some in-home care. Do their caregivers have to go through the new registration?

Yes. Every caregiver, even one taking care of current in-home recipients, must go through the new registration and pay a fingerprinting charge.

Why do counties object to today's changes?

Counties say they do not have the final ground rules from the state for new registration, but they are not allowed to use the old process in the meantime. Some say they don't have authorization yet to check caregivers in the FBI background check system they must use.