Action Center

Rebuilding Our Economic Future Public Service Announcement on the Budget

Thursday, March 4

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This is a last minute push to email legislators to stop cuts to home care hours.

Wednesday, March 3

The House of Representatives hasn't yet voted on amendments that would restore the cuts they made. We still have a chance to pass these amendments.

Email your Representatives as soon as possible. Urge them to prevent further cuts to hours.
Last week the House and Senate finally released their budget proposals. The Senate's proposal was a little better than the House and with some changes over the weekend, they restored some of the home care cuts we were facing.

But the House still needs to get their act together. They released a plan for raising revenue yesterday - which is good.

But they still need to prevent further cuts to home care. This is bad.

Click here to send an email. Time is running out.

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Cathy Byrd, David Lindberg, Ivy Williams and Flash Scaff, Jr. Deliver 14,000 Signatures to Key Budget Writers in Olympia

Monday, March 1

Four home care workers - Cathy Byrd, David Lindberg, Ivy Williams and Flash Scaff, Jr.- spoke for 14,000 in Olympia when they delivered names of members who support raising revenue and preventing cuts to home care and other critical long-term care services. We collected the names in two big binders and delivered them to key budget decision makers. Since home care workers don't have a common workplace, the petition “signed” virtually or over the phone.


Video



We met with Speaker of the House Frank Chopp; Representative Kelli Linville (Chair, House Ways and Means Committee); Representative Eric Pettigrew (Chair, House Health and Human Services Appropriations Committee); Representative Eileen Cody (Chair, House Health and Wellness Committee); Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown and Marty Loesch (Governor Gregoire’s Director of Outreach and General Counsel). We also delivered books to the offices of Senator Margarita Prentice (Chair, Senate Ways and Means Committee); Senator Rodney Tom (Vice Chair, Operating Budget, Senate Ways and Means Committee); and Senator Karen Keiser (Chair, Senate Health and Long-Term Care Committee).

Pictures

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Urge the Legislature to Stop Cutting Long-Term Care

Wednesday, February 24

Yesterday, the House and the Senate released their budget proposals. Although they both include plans for raising revenue, both budgets put the quality of care for vulnerable seniors and people with disabilities at risk.

Click here to tell them to stop cutting long-term care!

Urge them to reject proposals that ELIMINATE home care services for 1400 seniors and people with disabilities, and proposals to make DEEP CUTS to hours for 9000 seniors and people with disabilities. This is on top of the 5 million hours that were already cut last year.

Additional Details on the House and Senate Budget Proposals

The Bad News:

• The House and the Senate budget proposals eliminate the hours add-on (9500 clients would see a significant cut in hours);
• The Senate (but not the House) budget proposal eliminates home care services for 1400 clients by changing the eligibility requirements for Medicaid Personal Care;
• The Senate budget has a larger cut to the home care agency admin rate than what was in Governor 's budget or the House Budget (68 cents per hour reduction);
• The Senate budget proposal reverses last year's cut to nursing homes, but makes a new $58 million (total funds) cut. The House Budget also has significant new cuts to nursing homes; and
• The House and the Senate budget proposals both eliminate services for 600 adult day health clients.

The Good News:

• The Senate budget proposal follows the Governor's lead in protecting agency parity, health insurance and laundry/housekeeping hours;
• Neither the House nor the Senate budget proposals eliminate the Health Care Quality Authority or the registries; and
• Neither the House nor the Senate budget proposals delay the start of increased training under Initiative 1029.

We need EVERYONE to send a strong message to the legislature. Please click here to send an email to your legislator today!

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Save Long-Term Care Petition

Tuesday, February 2

Please sign our online petition to Save Long-Term Care.

Every day, more and more people are showing support for raising revenue so that we can avoid devastating cuts to health care, education, other basic services, and of course, long-term care.

Show your support for long-term care by signing our petition today!

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