Thursday, September 3, 2009

Californa Budget Cuts Affecting In Home Supportive Services, the Elimination of the Buy-in and the Medi-Cal Working Disabled Program

The chickens are again coming home to roost.

I had a call earlier today from a case manager who has a client who's IHSS (In Home Supportive Services) Social Worker is insisting that, in spite of the fact that he is enrolled in the Medi-Cal Working Disabled Program -- which is a No Share of Cost Category of Medi-Cal -- that the consumer is indeed responsible for his IHSS Share of Cost. In this case that amount equals a prohibitive $400.00 per month.

All indications are that the social worker is incorrect. According to a Fact Sheet published by Disability Rights California -- a not profit dedicated to all things Medi-Cal --

http://www.disabilityrightsca.org/pubs/F00701.pdf

The Elimination of the IHSS buy-in has nothing to do when the Medi-Cal program the recipient is enrolled in is a No Share of Cost program.

In fact, on Page Three of the above document, under a heading WHAT SHOULD I DO?
it states:

"Look at any Medi-Cal programs that you may qualify for that do not have a Share of Cost, such as: The Aged and Disabled Federal Poverty Level Program, the 250% Working Disabled Program, 1019b, DAC Medi-Cal, or Pickle Medi-Cal."

I'll keep you posted on this one, too.

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