Update from Olympia #13

Update from Olympia #13

Tuesday, April 13

Late on Monday night, the legislature concluded the special session and passed a budget and revenue proposal to send to the Governor. This will be the last update from Olympia for this special session.

IN THIS ISSUE
Final Budget Shows Significant Improvement * Revenue Package Passes * SEIU Healthcare 775NW Press Release on Budget

IN THIS ISSUE

Final Budget Shows Significant Improvement
The final compromise budget – which was approved by the House and Senate yesterday – includes some good and bad things for long-term care workers. All in all, considering the deep cuts that were proposed in the original Governor’s budget (including eliminating agency parity, delaying Initiative 1029, cutting health benefits for home care workers by 50%, eliminating home care services for 1400 seniors and people with disabilities, and cutting adult day health services for 600 clients), we should all be proud of the wins this year. Our continued advocacy made a difference!

Here’s what the final budget means for home care, nursing homes, and adult day health:

Home Care

Good news: We fought back proposals to make 6% cuts to home care hours, changes to home care eligibility, delays in training, and additional cuts to health insurance for home care workers. The final budget took the best of the House and Senate proposals on home care-related items and new funding was provided to help restore some of the hours cut from last year.
Bad news: There are still small cuts to the home care agency vendor rate and home care hours included in the final budget. There is also no additional funding provided to protect affordable healthcare for home care workers.

Nursing Homes

Good News: The legislature completely restored the rate cut to nursing homes from last year’s budget and we were successful in getting this year’s rate cut to have less of an impact on high-Medicaid facilities.
Bad news: The budget makes $25 million in additional cuts (a 2.5% cut) to nursing homes. The legislature did not pass the Nursing Home Quality Assurance Fee (SB 6751 / HB 3021), which would have created a more sustainable funding source for nursing homes.

Adult Day Health

Good News:We defeated a proposal to cut 600 people off of adult day health services, and made it possible for new people to enter the program.
Bad News:The legislature didn’t fully restore the program so we’ll have to keep fighting for this next year.

Revenue Package Passes
On the last day of the session, the legislature also approved – and sent to the Governor for approval – a revenue package to help prevent deep cuts to services. The compromise proposal on revenue is a win for families across Washington state.

Click here to read what the five local presidents of SEIU – including our own President, David Rolf – had to say to legislators about the compromise proposal.

775NW Press Release
Earlier today we also issued a press release on the impact of the final compromise budget under the headline: "Home Care Workers Applaud Legislators For Largely Protecting Home Care Services For Seniors and People with Disabilities; But Democratic Budget Leaves Lowest-Paid Workers Without Funding for Health Care."

Click here to read the press release.