OREGON
The top issue for long-term care programs and services in Oregon in 2002 and 2003 was lack of funding as the state grappled with major budget deficits. Still, work continued on developing long-range plans for future services for senior citizens and people with disabilities through the efforts of a task force created in 2001.
The Budget
Oregon voters failed to approve a January 2003 ballot measure that proposed a state income-tax increase to eliminate the state's $482 million deficit. The 2002 legislature had directed the termination of a self-directed support services home and community-based waiver program for people with developmental disabilities if the referendum did not pass. The program was created to respond to the settlement of the Staley vs. Kitzhaber lawsuit in December 2000, which called for the state to increase funding for community services for people with developmental disabilities through 2007. The number of people receiving support services was to increase by 4,600 during the agreement's six-year period. In August 2002, the Oregon Advocacy Center warned the state that it would return to court if budget cutbacks caused the state to backtrack on the settlement of the lawsuit.
After the referendum failed, however, the legislature rebalanced the budget in a bill signed by the governor on March 4. That bill restored some of the funds cut or planned to be cut by the Department of Human Services (DHS) through the end of fiscal year 2003. The legislature restored $7.4 million of $11.9 million in planned cuts for the Staley settlement. DHS had frozen enrollments on February 1, 2003. Department officials said they anticipated being able to keep the program open through the end of the biennium (June 30) by limiting the growth of new enrollments. In early March, they said they were in negotiations with the Staley plaintiffs " ... on possible revisions to the agreement due to the budget crisis."
The outlook for long-term care services remained bleak, however, as budget shortfalls for FY 2003-2005 continued to threaten many programs and services. DHS estimated that major reductions in the governor's proposed budget to programs for people with developmental disabilities included " ... eliminating all non-residential services, impacting 5,500 people who were covered by the Staley setlement agreement." The proposed budget also eliminated cost of living adjustments for all long-term care providers, reducing provider reimbursement rates for nursing homes and assisted living facilities, and eliminating the Oregon Project Independence Program.
Planning and Reports
The Governor's Task Force on the Future of Services to Seniors and People with Disabilities, which had been created by executive order on June 30, 2001, issued an initial report in September 2002. The task force was charged with developing a long-range plan on the future of services to senior citizens and people with disabilities and recommending legislative action and levels of funds needed to implement the plan.
The task force said all Oregonians, regardless of their incomes, needed to begin taking " ... personal responsibility for making healthy behavior choices and for planning and preparing for ... possible long-term care needs." The group identified eight overarching recommendations that required attention and implementation within the next year. The following were among the recommendations.
- Developing measures to determine whether services in various settings achieve outcomes, promote quality of life and are cost-effective.
- Encouraging personal responsibility by educating Oregonians about the need to engage in healthy lifestyles and planning for future long-term needs.
- Providing information and education on long-term care needs, services and planning, including conducting a public action campaign and expanding education of consumers and families about various long-term care options.
- Increasing system capacity by developing the long-term care work force and providing family caregiver supports.
- Maintaining a safety net for those who cannot afford to pay for their care.
BACK TO INDEX
BACK TO REPORT
|
