NJN Network

$113 Billion to be spent on health, disability and poverty related issues

NJN Network, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada, February 21, 2009
with story from The Arc, Disability Policy Collobaration News

Editor - there will be more than the anticipated $18 billion spent of Americans living with disabilities in the ARRA with health, poverty, housing and disbility related spending combined. Medicaid spending is $87 billion and all other categories are in excess of $26 billion. President Barack Obama has kept his word with the American people to bring social and health issues to the forefront of US recovery efforts. The challenge for Americans is to get the money out to the States and agencies as quickly as possible.

Disability Policy Colloboration News

The ARRA moved extremely quickly through Congress. The Arc and UCP have worked hard to ensure that the economic recovery package signed into law maintained the highest funding levels for disability-related programs and provides for the best possible protections for people with disabilities. The final Bill contains $787 billion in tax cuts and program funding. Most of the funding is intended to grow and protect jobs.

What is the Status of the Legislation?

Jan 28 – passed by House by a vote of 244-188
Feb 10 – passed by Senate by a vote of 61-37
Feb 11 – the Senate – House Conference Committee resolved the differences between the two bills.
Feb 13 – the House passed the conference bill by a vote of 246-183 and the Senate passed it by a vote of 60-38.
Feb 17 – President Obama signed the bill into law.

Read the rest of this entry »

Myrtle Jenkins Smith, Queen of the Liberal Millionaires Club

Everything we need to know about living on PEI according the the Liberal Millionaires Club

By Stephen Pate, NJN Network, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada, February 20, 2009
from PEI Government Press Release

Well, it’s here. The final report on how we are going to age with grace, style and panache. Province Releases New Healthy Aging Strategy. I’m excited. Then I look down and see -WHAAT? – It’s called “Ascent Report”!

Oh God save us please. Another report for our mindless Premier Robert Ghiz prepared by the Queen of the Liberal Millionaires Club – Myrtle Jenkins Smith.

I mean is there a limit to the subjects Myrtle will pretend to be an expert on? She gave us the going-no-where Disability Services Reform Report. It’s also known as – “dust collector.”

Myrtle is the author of that best seller – “How to close rural schools and centralize PEI in Charlottetown and Summerside” or your kids don’t live here anymore, Alice.
Read the rest of this entry »

Report: Unemployment Comes From Disability, Discrimination

NJN Network, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada, February 19, 2009
with story from WBALTV Baltimore

People who beat cancer are more likely to be unemployed than healthy people, according to a new study. Researchers from Amsterdam said it was especially true for survivors of breast or gastrointestinal cancers.

Author Angela G. E. M. de Boer found that cancer survivors had a 33.8 percent unemployment rate, compared to 15.2 percent for healthy people.She said that though half of cancer survivors are under 65, they face job discrimination and problems fitting in treatment with a work schedule. She also noted that cancer patients have a higher disability rate than the general population.
Read the rest of this entry »

Cancer, COPD, Osteoporosis Drugs Added to Formulary as Province Begins Modernization of Drug Programs

CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI – Prince Edward Island’s drug programs are undergoing a complete modernization review and, as a first step, additional cancer, osteoporosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) drugs are being added to the formulary, the Premier and the Minister of Social Services and Seniors announced today.

The province is investing $1.6 million to cover drugs that will improve the quality of life for approximately 1200 Islanders, with almost three-quarters of the funding being allocated to high-cost cancer drugs.

The funding is being redirected after internal reviews revealed savings in the pharmacy budget, because of increased use of generic drugs and the under-utilization of some programs. The new investment in the formulary will also be incorporated into future budgets.
Read the rest of this entry »

NJN Network, Denise Reiser, 16 February, Charlottetown, PEI
Dear Friends of Kate Poole,

Some of you might be aware that Kate has been dealing with a resurgence of symptoms of her breast cancer. She has been gone through the gamut emotionally and physically, and though her symptoms seemed to ease with her cleansing regime and the chemo she underwent last spring…her symptoms have resumed with a vengeance. Steroids have helped alleviate the pain (headaches) and given her a boost in energy. She is undergoing more tests, and will soon be advised about treatments by her doctor.

On the brighter side, Kate’s mental and emotional state has become far more peaceful, joyous, and strong over the last month, she is not feeling the fear that can be undermining. Her newfound strength is a blessing.
Read the rest of this entry »

PEI Premier Robert Ghiz, one incompetent political decision after another

Ghiz overheard humming, Now and then there’s a fool such as I.

By Stephen Pate, NJN Network, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada, February 16th, 2009

PEI’s Premier Robert Ghiz showed his inexperience and ineptitude by dividing Rustico along linguistic lines and not closing the file quickly. Today he turned down the request of the Commission scolaire de langue française de l’Île-du-Prince-Édouard for the a cultural centre to go with their new French school in Rustico. While the money was apparently coming from Heritage Canada, it mattered not to Premier Ghiz. He tried to play Solomon and divided Rustico along language lines, a deft act. The conflict was between the Cymbria Lions Club who were renting an old school building to the French School Board. The Lions fought to retain their $90K per year income from rentals. While the Lions Club could not stop the school from moving to the new building, they could act like a monkey in the works by interfering in the negotiations between the Federal Government, the Province and the Commission scolaire de langue française.
Read the rest of this entry »

Arnold Schwarzenegger, fighting deficits with health care cuts

Secretary Kim Belshe and Other Administration Officials Say Crisis Is “Unprecedented”
• Governor Looking At Legislature to Approve Proposals to Take Effect Immediately

Editor: gorvernments are beginning to signal their response to the gathering storm of recession – cutting social and health care programs. On PEI, the will the government squeeze the $200 million patronage waste or us? the signal this week from Premier Ghiz was to cancel hospital construction already budgeted.

By Marty D. Omoto
Director/Organizer
California Disability Community Action NetworkCalifornia Progress Report

Saying the budget situation is “unprecedented”, high level Schwarzenegger Administration officials said today in a conference call to health and human services advocates that the Governor will propose major cuts to health and human services as part of a package of proposals to address the growing State budget crisis that he wants the Legislature to approve when they meet in special session next week. Administration officials also said that the Governor will also propose ways to increase the State’s revenues, including proposals to help Californians who have lost jobs or face foreclosure but that every budget area will face reductions to control growth in spending. No details on the spending cuts or revenue increases were provided.

The Governor, as previously reported, will issue a call for the Legislature to return into a special (or emergency) session on November 5th because of the worsening State financial picture and a budget deficit that is swelling to as high as $10 billion.

Herb Shultz, senior advisor to the Governor, Vickie Bradhaw, the Governor’s cabinet secretary, and Secretary Kim Belshe of the California Health and Human Services Agency were among Administration officials who provided the briefing. The officials said that details of the Governor’s proposals are not yet available at this point, but will be when the Governor issues his formal proclamation soon, that officially calls the Legislature back into special session.

“We want to underscore our continued desire to work closely” with advocates and other stakeholders and looking at issues of ways to improve the State’s economy including cuts” Shultz said.

Bradshaw said that the State’s revenue loss is “far beyond what we expected” and that the budget shortfall is significantly larger and “dramatic”.

“We are in a state of fiscal crisis” said Bradshaw and that “short term fixes” cannot solve the enormous state budget shortfall.

She said that given the enormous crisis, the Governor viewed it as important to call special session of the Legislature now, to correct the problems this year, but warned that it will mean “significant cuts to all of our major programs”.

“None of the cuts will be easy,” Bradshaw said and urged that advocates and other Californians to help policymakers “look for as many alternatives as possible”.

Belshe, who oversees 12 state departments that have major responsibility for many critical health and human service programs that serve children and adults with disabilities, mental health needs, seniors and low income families, said “we would agree that the situation we face today is without precedent”.

“Very often health and human services becomes the focal point” for cuts because of the size of the budget, but that the size and magnitude of the problem means every budget area will be impacted, including health and human services. She said it will mean controlling costs and caseload growths in programs but that “it won’t come without pain and difficulty” and will be a challenge for “all of us to address”

Belshe said that many of the reductions that will be proposed in health and human services would, if approved by the Legislature, take effect this budget year in order to have impact on the State’s growing deficit.

Both Shultz and Bradshaw said several times that the Governor is not looking at closing the gap between what the State spends and what it takes in as revenue this year or next year with spending cuts only but ways to increase revenues.

Bradshaw, said that “whatever we don’t get in revenue generation” would mean getting it in spending reductions.

Advocates for children and adults with disabilities, mental health needs, seniors, people with traumatic brain and other injuries, Alzhiemers, MS and other disorders, low income families and children had feared that the Governor will propose major sweeping and permanent cuts to health and human services in addition to education.

The proposed cuts to education, though no details have been released yet, given the size, could have significant impact also on the over 650,000 children with special needs and disabilities in California special education programs.

Governor Yesterday Warned of Big Cuts to Education

Yesterday, in a press conference the Governor said that every budget area, including education and health, face cuts due to the enormous budget shortfall that could be now as high as $10 billion and growing, saying that California is facing a “state of emergency”.

Responding to his announcement on Tuesday to education leaders that he would be proposing $2 to $3 billion of education cuts, the Governor said that “since everyone has to take a haircut here, it’s natural that education gets hit, law enforcement gets hit, prisons are going to get hit, and also health care is going to get hit. So, it’s just the math, it’s not me, it’s mathematics that tell you that you have to make cuts in those kind of different areas.” The Governor said he would continue to look at ideas that would lessen the impact of any cuts to children in the classroom.

NEXT STEPS

* The State Constitution gives power to a governor to call the Legislature into a special (or emergency) session, though he must issue a proclamation indicating the date when they must return and meet. That should happen soon.

* The Governor will release his proposals probably at that time, and probably similar in format to how he released new budget proposals in May and August. The special session proposals, meant to address the growing budget shortfall, will include proposals for major cuts to education and probably other programs, and likely a proposal for an increase in the state sales tax. While the Governor can propose cuts and other measures to address the budget shortfall, those proposals require approval by the Legislature.

* The State Constitution does not require the Legislature to actually do anything beyond that. There is no requirement in the State Constitution on how long the Legislature must meet in special session. However because the Governor is calling a special session of the Legislature made up with the current members, they cannot meet beyond November 30th, because members elected November 4th will take office December 1.

The California Disability Community Action Network, is a non-partisan link to thousands of Californians with developmental and other disabilities, people with traumatic brain injuries, the Blind, the Deaf, their families, community organizations and providers, direct care, homecare and other workers, and other advoc ates to provide information on state (and eventually federal), local public policy issues.

Posted on October 30, 2008

There have got to me hundreds if not thousands of ways to save money in our healthcare system. We intend to offer a few and if you know of some, pass them on.

As of June 1st, 2007 everyone needing any kind of service at the hospital must go to admitting first. The reason for this: to know statistically how many people are being served by the hospital.

There is no warning of this when you enter. If you need tests or blood work and go to the department they send you packing upstairs to Admitting. Yesterday I saw an old man sent upstairs. Today a very pregnant woman was turned away in Special Services. Go back upstairs.

This will increase parking revenue for the hospital since it adds about 30 minutes to your visit.

It will also add to your inconvenience as you line up in the hallway outside admitting. There were lots of traffic problems as people lined up and blocked the hallway for people coming and going.

Admitting is not setup to handle this yet. Yesterday three wheelchairs were crammed inside and none of the little interview stations was wheelchair accessible. They are sort of bullet proof with thick plexiglass – must be preparing for World War III or the Invasion on PEI. The room is poorly designed with people coming and going through the same small door.

Once inside, they take your cards, fill out two forms, check the computer and keep one of the forms. Each of those forms is probably costing the hospital $200 to $500 to process and store. The form looks important if we get a pandemic in the future which has a less than zero probability attached to it.

When you get to the department, they ignore the admitting form and work on whatever you came for in the first place.

Bureaucracies tend to build larger bureaucracies. The QE is building one bloated system after another that eat up healthcare dollars, waste patient’s time, and serve no purpose other than the bureaucracy.

They only way they can implement this is because the QE is a small hospital in the real world. I have never seen a large hospital try to force its patients through a funnel.