“Coalition forms to oppose potential long-term care budget cuts,” by Michael Goldberg, Washington State Wire

 

Quote:

“A group of Long-Term Care advocates in Washington State have formed a coalition in response to potential budget cuts to services utilized by senior citizens and people with disabilities. The coalition — which includes AARP, SEIU 775, Washington Health Care Association, Casa Latina, and several other organizations — formed after a budget reduction exercise conducted by the Office of Financial Management (OFM) indicated that as much as $220 million in cuts to aging and long-term care services could occur to help balance the state budget.”

LTC Comment (from Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care Reform):

Are states going to cut Medicaid long-term care as this latest budget crisis hits? The question is not if, but how, and how much. The best approach is to retarget benefits to the needy and let those who can, pay their own way. But one thing’s for sure, grand schemes like Washington State’s to compel financially strapped citizens to buy government LTC insurance will fall by the wayside. The whole country has a rendezvous with personal responsibility coming as soon as the bill for trillions of dollars of Federal Reserve and Treasury funny money comes due.