The Connecticut Community Providers Association (CCPA) thanked the Governor for his commitment to protecting the safety net and called on him recently to continue his efforts to maintain services for people with disabilities. “In these times, when our leaders are looking for ways to make state government more efficient, our members provide some of the most cost effective human service delivery systems,” said Terry Edelstein, President and CEO of CCPA.
The Plan B budget makes drastic cuts to a safety net that has already seen years of underfunding. If enacted, these cuts will have a chilling impact on services and supports for people with disabilities.
For example:
* Individuals on Medicaid will face a tremendous reduction in services including those Low Income Adults who just entered this healthcare program.
* The potential cuts will eliminate funding for school graduates ready to receive services through the Department of Developmental Services and curtail Birth to Three services.
* The plan will reduce human services contracts in the Department of Children and Families budget by 10% and limit services for young adults seeking services from the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services as well as for individuals moving from nursing homes into the community.
The plan makes reductions of up to 3% in private provider funding, a cut that would decimate an already fragile service delivery system. Connecticut’s community providers offer a cost effective and efficient human services delivery system that saves state money.
“Cutting these services would result in consumers ending up in much more expensive settings such as emergency rooms, inpatient hospitals or the criminal justice system. After years with virtually no funding increases, an across the board cut will have a devastating impact on the ability to provide services,” said Edelstein. “We appreciate that difficult decisions are ahead for the Governor and the legislature, and we encourage them to consider our state’s most vulnerable residents as they move forward.”
