LSA Washington – January 31, 2012
A regular publication from the LSA Public Policy Office
Release of Budget Delayed One Week
The release of the President’s budget request will be delayed by one week, now slated to come out on Monday, February 13, instead of Monday, February 6. Budget law requires the President to release the Administration’s budget proposal on the first Monday in February, but delays are not uncommon. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is undergoing a leadership change with the current Director, Jacob Lew, departing to become White House Chief of Staff.
In other budget news, House Republicans indicate they would pass a House budget resolution, while Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) indicated the Senate would not. Senator Reid indicated that because last year’s debt agreement (PL 112-25), known as the Budget Control Act, already set a ceiling for spending, it was unnecessary to pass a resolution this year. However, Senate Budget Chairman, Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND), indicated that the Senate Budget Committee would attempt to pass a budget resolution.
House to Vote on Repeal of CLASS Act
On Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives is expected vote on H.R. 1173, a bill to repeal the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Program. Included in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), the CLASS Act was intended to be a government-run program to allow individuals to voluntarily purchase long-term care insurance. Currently, the primary public program now covering long term services and supports is Medicaid. Medicare and Medicaid combined paid for 67 percent of nursing home and home health care provided last year, and according to a 2009 study, family caregivers annually provide care valued at $450 billion.
While the need for a better system for financing long term care and services is acknowledged by both parties, CLASS has endured criticism, culminating in U.S. Department of Health and Human Services decision last October to cease its efforts to implement CLASS. However, despite that decision, many advocates maintain that CLASS is the only framework that exists in the law to help fix how we pay for long term services and supports. Rather than repeal CLASS, advocates insist that there should be continued dialogue and development of a viable plan moving forward.
To express your opinion about H.R. 1173, call your representative(s) before Wednesday’s vote.
2012 Poverty Guidelines Released
HHS has released the new poverty guidelines for calendar year 2012, available HERE. For a family of three, the official poverty level is $19,090; for a family of one it is $11,170. There are actually three sets of guidelines: one for the 48 contiguous states, one for Alaska and one for Hawaii. The guidelines are used for determining eligibility for numerous federal and state programs.
New Report Considers Positives and Negatives of Child Welfare Class Actions
The Center for the Study of Social Policy has released a new report, “Lessons Learned,” an analysis of the impact of child welfare class action litigation. The report collects the observations of a range of key parties to past child welfare litigation resulting in consent decrees. The report attempts to assess the benefits and the possible negative consequences from various class action suits that sought to bring states under compliance with federal child welfare law. Various authors - representing the perspectives of state child welfare directors, court monitors, litigators, the judiciary and third party participants – give their assessments of how best to deal with such circumstances.
The last time there was a comprehensive assessment of how many states were partially or fully covered by consent decrees was 2005, when the Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) and the American Bar Association (ABA) conducted a ten year review. At that time, there had been a total of 32 class actions resulting in consent decrees in 30 jurisdictions. Views are mixed on the effectiveness of such legal actions with some states arguing resources and time would be better spent on providing services while others doubt that such resources would be put into child welfare reforms without the hammer of legal actions.
The 152 page report can be read online HERE.
IRS Releases Final Form 990
From Independent Sector: On January 23, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released the final Form 990 for the 2011 tax year. The 2011 form includes significant changes in key areas for exempt organizations, such as joint ventures and investment partnerships, reportable compensation, activities and investments directed toward foreign countries, and an expanded Schedule H for tax-exempt hospitals.
Learn more about the Form 990 HERE.
Source: BNA Daily Tax Report
LSS of Wisconsin & Upper Michigan Announces Shift in Services to Persons with Disabilities
LSS of Wisconsin & Upper Michigan recently announced a shift in how they provide services to persons with disabilities. Statewide, LSS supports more than 2,000 individuals with disabilities, whose services are paid for primarily through Family Care, Wisconsin's long-term care program for older adults and people with disabilities. LSS is focusing on more client-driven, cost effective, and community-based supports for persons with disabilities. More information about these transitions is available HERE.
Additionally, on January 18, Rita Wiersma, executive director of disabilities services at LSS, testified to members of the Joint Committee on Audit in response to an audit that was conducted related to Family Care in Wisconsin. The audit was conducted in 2010 to evaluate the effectiveness, efficiencies, and viability of Family Care in Wisconsin. The audit aimed to measure the overall effectiveness of the program and if the program is working in the way it was originally intended to. The audit results were released in 2011 and public hearings happened the week of January 16th. View the full testimony HERE. For a summary of the Audit findings, click HERE.
Have news about your organization that you’d like to appear in LSA Washington? Email Bob Francis at rfrancis@lutheranservices.org to share.
