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Enough is Enough Petition for Home Care

Enough is Enough Petition for Home Care

Target:
New York State Legislators and Governor Paterson
Sponsored by: 
With New York Governor David Paterson's administration signaling that home care will be the target of further cuts, on top of the millions in cuts already weathered by home care agencies, enough is enough!

In addition to destructive cuts that loom on the horizon, home care agencies have also been subject to a raft of unfunded mandates and proposals that further threaten access to cost-effective home care services.

Understanding that the state faces difficult budget challenges, we urge New York's Legislature and the Paterson administration to support -- instead of home care cuts -- the "Home Care Accessibility and Efficiency Improvement Act" (HCA-EIA), a constructive, multi-part bill (S.5179) developed by the home care community to save Medicaid dollars while saving vital home care programs for the elderly, persons with disabilities, and the chronically ill. 
With New York Governor David Paterson's administration signaling that home care will be the target of further cuts, on top of the millions in cuts already weathered by home care agencies, enough is enough!

In addition to destructive cuts that loom on the horizon, home care agencies have also been subject to a raft of unfunded mandates and proposals that further threaten access to cost-effective home care services.

Understanding that the state faces difficult budget challenges, we urge New York's Legislature and the Paterson administration to support -- instead of home care cuts -- the "Home Care Accessibility and Efficiency Improvement Act" (HCA-EIA), a constructive, multi-part bill (S.5179) developed by the home care community to save Medicaid dollars while saving vital home care programs for the elderly, persons with disabilities, and the chronically ill. 

Dear Legislator:

Millions of New Yorkers who rely upon home care services need your help.

Home care allows the elderly, persons with disabilities and chronically ill patients of all ages to remain safely in their own homes. It reduces a patient's chances of being hospitalized, and it succeeds in helping individuals avoid premature or unwanted admission to a nursing home. For these reasons, home care is an extraordinarily cost-effective and cherished component of our health care system that matches an appropriate level of care with a patient's wish to remain in the most integrated and most preferred health setting -- his or her home.

Despite these rational and humane reasons for supporting home care, Governor Paterson's administration has nevertheless indicated it will specifically target home care services for yet another round of draconian budget cuts, on top of the millions of dollars in home care cuts already implemented in prior budget cycles.

We understand that the state faces extraordinarily difficult fiscal challenges, and we wholly appreciate the delicate balance of addressing these challenges while maintaining vital services for New Yorkers. This is why the home care community has stepped forward to offer constructive solutions of our own, rooted in sound health care policies, for addressing the state's budget without decimating access to services.

Knowing that home care, by its very design, is an intrinsically cost-effective model of service delivery, the home care community has developed a comprehensive 33-part legislative proposal which further maximizes home care's cost-saving potential.

The bill -- S.5179, known as the "Home Care Accessibility and Efficiency Improvement Act" (HCA-EIA) -- will not only save Medicaid dollars but it will protect services for the elderly, chronically ill and persons with disabilities so that they can continue to be cared for at home, as is their wish. HCA-EIA achieves this important and achievable goal through home-care program enhancements, regulatory reforms, workforce flexibility, quality and performance standards, a realignment of financial incentives, and much more.

S.5179 is sponsored by Senator Craig Johnson. We the undersigned ask that you please join Senator Johnson as cosponsor of S.5179 and insist on pursuing constructive solutions for maintaining cost-effective home care services in place of catastrophic cuts that will only jeopardize access to care.

To learn more about S.5179, please visit http://www.enoughisenoughny.com/.

Thank you.

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We signed the "Enough is Enough Petition for Home Care" petition!
# 674:
5:01 pm PST, Nov 21, Joe Hoestermann, New York
Homecare saves the healthcare system money by contributing to preventing rehospitalization and providing rehabilitation services to get well at home
# 673:
3:18 pm PST, Nov 18, Susan Cadoff, New York
• In just one year alone – between April 2008 and April 2009 – New York State enacted nearly $300 million in crippling state and federal share home care cuts. Governor’s Deficit Reduction Plan (DRP), meanwhile, would bring this toll to nearly one-half billion dollars in unsustainable, across-the-board cuts – just since 2008. • Worse yet, adding to this avalanche of direct cuts is an unprecedented pile-up of “silent” new cuts that the state has implemented in recent years by way of unfunded mandates and onerous regulations. • Home care is not only preferred by most patients, but it also helps individuals avoid hospitalization, rehospitalization or premature nursing-home admission. Thus, home care saves Medicaid dollars while supporting and enhancing the patient’s quality of life through a mix of preventive, post-acute and rehabilitative services. New York’s Long Term Home Health Care Programs are among the most at financial risk. Sixty-five percent more of these programs experienced operating losses in 2007 compared to 2004.
# 672:
12:44 pm PST, Nov 18, Deanna Rock, New York
# 671:
10:35 am PST, Nov 18, Monica Prendergast, New York
Homecare services provides a humane and cost effective way of caring for individuals with chronic medical conditions and our elderly population. Cutting our homecare budget would be like saying the government doesn't care what happens to sick, elderly and chronically ill individuals. it would increase cost of individuals now having to go into the nursing home and hospitals for their care when it could be provided at home.
# 670:
9:04 am PST, Nov 18, Jane Wendel, New York
# 669:
12:36 pm PST, Nov 16, Lisa Lemery, New York
I am a health care worker and home health can not survive if cuts are made. Patients need our care. It would cost Medicare and Medicaid more if these patients were not seen in their home and had to be placed in nursing homes. We can not continue to have cuts. PLEASE consider other means of cuts. Cutting home health care reimbursement is not the answer.
# 668:
5:37 am PST, Nov 16, Frances Raimo, Pennsylvania
# 667:
5:08 am PST, Nov 15, Lisa Zimmerman, New York
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! Stop spending TAX DOLLARS FOOLISHLY and spend it where it BELONGS to keep our sick elderly patients home where they BELONG!
# 666:
7:04 pm PST, Nov 14, Name not displayed, New York
I am a Home Health Aide.I see many patients each week that could not remain in their homes without our services.Please do not inflict anymore cuts on our Home Care Agencies.
# 665:
4:44 pm PST, Nov 13, Name not displayed, New York
# 664:
11:13 am PST, Nov 13, Name not displayed, New York
# 663:
9:58 am PST, Nov 13, Kim Beyer, New York
My father worked 6 days a week, way past his retirement years. Waiting for medicaid to kick in nearly broke my parents. We now will be waiting nearly another year for my mother to be approved. Both were hard working people. It's not right that they are treated this way.
# 662:
9:32 am PST, Nov 13, Name not displayed, New York
It is immoral and unethical to make the most vulnerable of society pay for the excesses of wall street. To blame the sick, elderly and disabled for the fiscal mess is a lie. They are an easy target, but they did not create the situation and before they are asked to pay for it make cuts to the huge corporations who have benefited in the past 8 years.
# 661:
5:13 am PST, Nov 12, Liz Olyha, New York
I AM A HOMECARE NURSE. MY PATIENTS BENEFIT FROM SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE AIDE, PHYSICAL THERAPIST, OCCUATIONAL THERAPIST, NUTRITIONIST, SPEECH THERAPIST, AND SOCIAL WORKER. THESE CUTS WOULD DECREASE SERVICES TO PEOPLEL IN NEED. PLEASE FIND A WAY TO SAVE MONEY WITHOUT EFFECTING HOMECARE.
# 660:
7:39 pm PST, Nov 11, Lorraine Giampaolo, New York
I am a home care nurse and I am very aware of how much our patient's need us after coming home from the hospital. We help keep rehospitalization down.
# 659:
7:28 pm PST, Nov 11, Erin Quillinan, New York
I work for a home care agency that just had to cut many things in the budget this last year d/t cuts. If they make any more cuts, patient care is going to be impacted. Patient's are leaving the hospital sicker now than ever d/t the push to send them home sooner. Who will care for these very sick patient's that are leaving the hospital if there are more cuts in the budget?
# 658:
5:26 pm PST, Nov 11, John Butler, New York
This population is very vulnerable. If you cut their funding they will just need more care somewhere else and it will cost more in the long run.
# 657:
3:22 pm PST, Nov 11, Name not displayed, New York
It is the "right thing to do", to be able to provide adequate care for the elderly, persons with disabilities, and the chronically ill. As an R.N., I can't do my job effectively if the services aren't there!!!!
# 656:
12:21 pm PST, Nov 11, Allison Wait, New York
In october 2008 you stated “In our current fiscal crisis, we simply cannot continue this kind of budgetary inertia. We must separate the critical functions of State government from those we can no longer afford, in order to help direct our limited resources to our highest priority initiatives in a time of fiscal crisis.” I do not believe that healthcare is an option,it is a right, and if we do not budget to care for those in need, the expenses of their tertiary care will spiral out of control. Example: NYS Long Term Home Health Care Program, helping thousands of seniors stay in the comforts of there homes, while providing cost effective care, and extending the quality of life for our seniors. This is a critical program to New York State seniors. This does not sound like a waste to me. Allison Wait MS RN Clinical Nurse Educator
# 655:
10:28 am PST, Nov 11, Franca Cascione, New York
# 654:
8:11 am PST, Nov 11, Anita Haze, New York
Governor Patterson seems to want to cripple the very programs which helps Millions of Americans to stay at home and prevent hospitalizations. Enough is enough.
# 653:
5:47 am PST, Nov 11, Renee Levesque, New York
Additional cuts to certified home health agencies and hospices in New York come on top of two earlier state tax levies and a federal reduction. This will drastically reduce the services provided to our homebound elderly, sick and disabled in their most vulnerable time. Further cuts and reductions to home care will result in our home bound patients being hospitalized, or needing long term placement into systems already overloaded in the state.
# 652:
5:29 am PST, Nov 11, Jerry Petell, New York
Please stop comprising the care to individuals on Medicaid and Medicare. I work as a Social Worker and the stress of both health care workers and our patients are increasing. Their will be more illness as a direct result of asking health care providers to do more with less funding.
# 651:
5:52 pm PST, Nov 10, Name not displayed, New York
I recently had to send one of my patients to the hospital because of suicidal plans. If she had not been receiving home care services, if I was not involved in her life, she may not have been around today. In a city as large as NY, it's hard to believe how many seniors look forward to their nurse's visits because that is the only person they will have seen or talked to all day. Home Care continues to find innovative ways to survive in this current economy. How much more can such a vital industry take before the lives of our patients are morbidly affected. Please oppose the home care cuts.
# 650:
5:26 pm PST, Nov 10, JoAnne Miner, New York
I AM A RN THATS WORKS FOR A HOMECARE AGENCY, AND I AM AWARE OF THE CUTS IN THE PAST, AND THE PROPOSED ONES. I FEEL THAT CONGRESS CANNOT SPENDING TAX PAYER MONEY FOOLISHLY, BUT THEY CAN CUT THE CARE THAT OUR SENIORS AND PEOPLE WHO CANNOT TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES. I AM TIRED OF OUR TAXPAYER MONEY ASSISTING THOSE WHO WON'T TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES, AND FEEL THAT THE PRESENT POLITICIANS DO NOT LISTEN OR CARE OF OUR CONCERNS.
# 649:
4:45 pm PST, Nov 10, Marguerite Whelan, New York
# 648:
3:54 pm PST, Nov 10, Name not displayed, New York
# 647:
12:37 pm PST, Nov 10, Darcy Connolly, New York
# 646:
12:35 pm PST, Nov 10, Laurie DeWitt, New York
# 645:
11:37 am PST, Nov 10, Name not displayed, New York
# 644:
11:31 am PST, Nov 10, Barbara Horton, New York
enough IS enough. we've given back while giving more. DO NOT threaten medical servicing! cut governmental staffs, spending accounts & perks!
# 643:
11:07 am PST, Nov 10, Judith Sheil, New York
# 642:
11:02 am PST, Nov 10, April Douglas, New York
# 641:
10:57 am PST, Nov 10, Marey Bailey, New York
As a service coordinator in a senior independent low income residence, I see daily the need of seniors for home care services to remain independent at home rather than in a nursing home. Although I will be leaving this position shortly (my new position will be as a Social Worker working with people in long term care) I really care for the people here and know several would have to move to a nursing home where most of their friends could not visit them as they have no transportation to do so. In addition, it is much cheaper to provide home care than it is to provide care in a nursing home. There are few, if any, options for assisted living for people on Medicaid in the Capital District area. Please pass S.5179. Cuts to these programs would be devastating to people I care aboutdeeply.
# 640:
10:02 am PST, Nov 10, Elizabeth Haig, New York
Please Gov Paterson no more cuts to home care we are a viable part of NY states future. New Yorks can't survive in their homes without the work that we do.
# 639:
9:06 am PST, Nov 10, Cynthia Cooper, New York
# 638:
8:43 am PST, Nov 10, Susan Stilan, New York
I am sure the health care cuts look like an easy way to help balance the budget, but in doing so you are hurting those who are most vulnerable in our society. I work in home care, and I can tell you that for some of our patients, the home care workers are the only people looking out for these individuals. To make massive cuts would result in these individuals losing services which enable them to remain in their homes rather than being placed in a nursing home, which is certainly a more costly option. You need to look harder to identify waste and reduce the Super-sized government and stop making outrageous cuts to Home Care services. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
# 637:
8:31 am PST, Nov 10, Valerie Brooks, New York
These cuts are effecting the people who need it the most. Without these services, alot of people would not be able to have the quality of life they have. It's because of home care services that people who would otherwise be in a nursing home or institution are able to recieve the care they deserve at home and have a more positive outlook on LIFE. It's because of home care services that my mother had the extra years that she did and did not give up on life. It's also because of these home care services that I work in this field today and have the opportunity to work with and know the caring and unselfish people that I do.
# 636:
8:31 am PST, Nov 10, Cynthia Kocienski, New York
# 635:
8:26 am PST, Nov 10, Lynette Turo, New York
This is total craziness!! To propose these cuts and think that they can be absorbed without resulting in massive layoffs and cuts in services which ultimately will impact the economy and unemployment in NYS makes no sense.
# 634:
8:25 am PST, Nov 10, Maria Scisci, New York
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!
# 633:
8:13 am PST, Nov 10, Sunny Baldwin, New York
As a home care professional since 1985, I have worked with people of all ages, newborns to the elderly. It is unfortunate that this speciality is not recognized for the care that it provides from education to high-tech treatments. The government increases the expectations, but keeps decreasing the resources to obtain these. If homecare is to continue, we cannot afford any more cuts. Enough really is Enough!
# 632:
8:12 am PST, Nov 10, Scisci Ann Marie, New York
The population served by home care will continue to grow as we age. Why institutionalize people when they would rather stay at home? Home care services allow this to happen. Cuts to reimbursements is just outrageous! I'd like to see the legislators & the governor walk a day in a home care clinician's shoes. They would then see the reality of the situation as opposed to facts & figures that can easily be manipulated! Enough is enough!!
# 631:
8:10 am PST, Nov 10, La Verne Van Dyke, New York
Good Morning, I personally feel that when these type of decisions are made that individuals should look deeper into the consequences knowing that they affect individuals in their own family as well as others. Appointed officials need to put theirselves into the shoes of the elderly. We will all be there one day. The young children of today will be our caretakers in the future.The are watching and listening. "Be careful how you treat people". It afffects all of us. Thank you.
# 630:
8:10 am PST, Nov 10, Michele Paugh, New York
# 629:
8:09 am PST, Nov 10, Mary Mastrianni, New York
Enough is enough!! No more cuts to healthcare! Our patients have been affected too much already!
# 628:
8:08 am PST, Nov 10, Jocelyn Gray, New York
# 627:
8:08 am PST, Nov 10, Linda Reveal, New York
# 626:
8:06 am PST, Nov 10, Martha Pelletier, New York
I am a Service Coordinator in low-income senior housing. Many of my residents are able to live in the community due to the Long Term Home Health Care Program. If it were not for this program, they would have to live in nursing homes. These folks live on very limited funds; it is all they can do to buy food and their medications. I assist them with their limited budgets. I would like to see our leaders live on $700 a month! My residents never complain; they are happy to have a home and assistance with their dialy living activities. We need to support the poorest of the poor. These elders built this country and we cannot turn our backs on them just because they cannot stand up for themselves!
# 625:
8:06 am PST, Nov 10, Ann Robitaille, New York
# 624:
8:02 am PST, Nov 10, Patricia Rice, New York
# 623:
8:01 am PST, Nov 10, Nancy Watrous, New York
# 622:
7:56 am PST, Nov 10, Colleen Ayala, New York
# 621:
7:56 am PST, Nov 10, Jean Acosta, New York
# 620:
7:54 am PST, Nov 10, Sona Holmes, New York
# 619:
7:11 am PST, Nov 10, Jo Ann Siry, New York
enough is enough we are trying to care for people who are very ill in the community who need our care -
# 618:
4:51 pm PST, Nov 9, Richard Lusak, New York
# 617:
2:32 pm PST, Nov 9, Kelly Lusak, New York
# 616:
12:46 pm PST, Nov 9, Kaye Wahrmann, New York
Governor Patterson: You may have tthe resources to provide for your care when you get much older however, there are thousands of hard working citizens who are bearly getting by now and they will need the same ki nd of care your $ will buy. Please thing about nthe people who put you in power believing that you would do the right thing.
# 615:
10:57 am PST, Nov 9, Russell Lusak, New York
These cuts will be devastating to the home care industry. Our fragile patient populations will be left on their own or move on to inpatient care where costs are higher. Ironically, these cuts will not solve the State's shortfall but could in fact cost the State more because these patients will still need care. Help stop the bleeding and please look out for our most fragile and vulnerable patients.
# 614:
10:00 am PST, Nov 9, Karen Soto, New York
Further cuts will significantly impact our ability to provide safe care to our patients that need homecare. Please help!
# 613:
9:52 am PST, Nov 9, Linda Phillips, New York
Homecare agencies help preserve the quality of life for patients who are not able to care for themselves. It is a travesty what the Governor and Legislature is trying to do to homecare and the patients will be the ones to suffer.
# 612:
6:32 am PST, Nov 9, Laura Fasulo, New York
Reimbursement cuts affect the most vulnerable of our communities. These cuts will have to result in reduction of the level of care to the elderly and the disabled no matter what setting they reside. We cannot continue to cut our Nursing Homes and Home Care Service Providers.
# 611:
9:08 pm PST, Nov 6, KIMBERLY KELEHER, New York
# 610:
8:23 pm PST, Nov 6, Christopher Layo, New York
I am a 24 year old college student with duchenne md. I have had 24hr care through cdpap for the last six years. I am happy to be able to live on my own and be able to make my own choices about my personal care. Without the program I would have never been able to live on my own. If the state cuts out cdpap or cuts its spending my life would be totally destroyed.
# 609:
1:41 pm PST, Nov 6, Tatiana Calabria, New York
# 608:
1:08 pm PST, Nov 5, Carol Fitzgerald, New York
I am no spring chicken anymore and I don't feel the security connection between old age and home care. Stop taking from the poor elderly. This is not a good remedy for helping the budget become stronger. Thank you.
# 607:
10:51 am PST, Nov 5, Jason McGinnis, New York
I am a home care nurse, the severe cuts in medicaid reimbursement proposed by Gov. Patterson will be harmful to thousands of New Yorkers who depend on home care services paid by medicaid. Furthermore, these are FEDERAL funds given by the federal government to provide for the needs of New Yorkers, it is not a trust fund to be plundered by state government.
# 606:
12:24 pm PST, Nov 4, Debbie Nischo, New York
# 605:
9:12 am PST, Nov 4, Gail White, New York
# 604:
7:55 am PST, Nov 4, David Silva, New York
Home care is the key to tackling the state's (and country's) long-term care financing crisis. Home care is more cost-effective than nursing home, yet outside of NYC counties spend most of their long-term care dollars on nursing homes. Don't pick on the home care agencies until you've addressed this massive inefficiency (not to mention inequity!)
# 603:
7:47 am PST, Nov 4, Barbara Dragon, New York
Having been involved in directing Home Care Agencies that provide services to the frail elderly for over 30 years and most recently to individuals with disabilities and those with brain injuries, I have seen the effects of previous rate cuts to the point that often clients' safety has been seriously jeopardized. We have attempted to keep the art and heart of caring for these needy clients utmost in our service delivery but each decrease in reimbursement poses a bigger threat to agencies' existence. One of the biggest challenges in home care at this point is a continuing lack of direct care workers. With increasing requirements of time, management and resources in response to ever changing regulations and restrictions, money for recruiting and retaining these valuable caregivers suffers. Since we will not compromise the level of the quality of our services, we are less able to recruit, train and staff new referrals. And...this is the tip of the iceberg!
# 602:
3:24 pm PST, Nov 3, Jennifer Baisley, New York
# 601:
2:27 pm PST, Nov 2, Sandra Cedeno, New York
Home Care has suffered multiple rate cuts in the last several years which are severely impacting our ability to deliver quality and efficient care to our patients. These cuts come at a time when more and more regulations are promulgated regarding home care such as corporate compliance, new HIPAA regulations, Red Flag rules, new OASIS C, Home Care Registry to name just a few. It takes manpower to adhere to all these regulations as well as to deliver care to patients and it can't be accomplished when rates are constantly slashed. In addition we desperately need to go to a totally electronic record and that can only be done if there is monies for capital investment and with the current reimbursement structure that is not possible.
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