2011 update

Time Flies When You Are Having Fun!

pcullen@careproviders.org — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 15:45:00 GMT

Last month was a blur for many of us at the Association. We were busy with legal and public relations strategies for members preparing for the state shutdown, which was a tense and solemn experience.

At the same time we were getting ready for a party.

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Letting the Attorney General and the Legislature Know the Effects of a Shutdown

pcullen@careproviders.org — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 13:19:00 GMT

Thanks to those of you who sent in stories about what a government shutdown—and no Medicaid payments—would mean to your organization; and thanks to those who sent us candid photos of folks you served. We forwarded over 15 stories to the Attorney General to help bolster her legal argument about essential services during a shutdown; and hopefully you have seen the video we made with the photos.

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This Potential Shut-Down Is Different—Get to Work!

pcullen@careproviders.org — Tue, 31 May 2011 14:44:00 GMT

So, we don’t have a balanced budget and the clock is ticking toward the end of the biennium—June 30, 2011.

We went through this exercise not too many years ago and it didn’t seem too cataclysmic, so is this year any different?? Absolutely! This go-around the dynamics are dramatically different, so let’s do a bit of a comparison before we lay down a course of action:

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Heading Toward Special Session—What’s Next?

pcullen@careproviders.org — Wed, 18 May 2011 18:15:00 GMT

As I write this, there are still a few days left of the “regular” session of the Legislature; however, the budget agreement is elusive and there certainly hasn’t been anything “regular” about the past few months.

As usual, Minnesotans are divided in messaging and in whom they voted to represent them—we historically have been the state with the most interesting mix of liberals and conservatives and the elections’ outcomes have tended to give us some measure of checks and balances.

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Planning Ahead Just as Critical as Resolving Current Budget Debacle

pcullen@careproviders.org — Wed, 04 May 2011 16:11:00 GMT

Here we are . . . weeks before the May 23 constitutional end of session deadline looming; and the budget compromise remains elusive, especially with committees not yet having targets and revenue issues not being confined to the tax committee. After months of staring at budget deficit numbers, legislators are getting weary of the stories of budget cut implications and weary of the partisan discussions surrounding both sides of the budget stalemate.

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How Come I Haven’t Heard Anything About This?

pcullen@careproviders.org — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 13:58:00 GMT

The title of this story came from a conversation I had recently with a technology consultant. She had just found an assisted living site for her aunt—the sixth such placement for elderly relatives in the past three years. With heavy heart I noted that the current budget reduction proposals would remove many of these choices for seniors—especially those with limited means. We talked about the strained human services budget and potential implications of the budgetary proposals on the table. Her response was a bit surprising: “how come I haven’t heard anything about this?”

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We Really, Really Cannot Take a Cut

pcullen@careproviders.org — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 17:27:00 GMT

When the Governor released his supplemental budget recommendations on February 28 and they included a “buy back” of some of the proposed cuts to long-term care, we were asked our reaction. Weren’t we pleased? Isn’t it a relief? We had to respond to media and other requests that no, there were still significant cuts on the table impacting providers of older adult services—some STILL so deep that the future viability of many providers is in question.

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Quality Advancement and No Money: How to Reconcile the Tension

pcullen@careproviders.org — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 21:28:00 GMT

As we face months ahead of us with budget uncertainty, there certainly are questions about whether we can “ride out the storm” and what the aftermath of reductions will mean to the services we provide. Who will not be able to survive if the level of reductions is too severe? Will we be able to assure access to care and services throughout the state or will there be new gaps? Will we still be able to deliver the type of care we believe in? Can we continue to move the quality bar ahead when the resources continue to be reduced?

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Governor’s Budget Begins the Discussions—We Need Political Courage

pcullen@careproviders.org — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 17:35:00 GMT

Minnesota’s political leaders are, no doubt, facing tremendous challenges: an unprecedented budget deficit projected for the upcoming biennium; a divided electorate sending mixed messages about spending and expectations; and limited “easy” options—such as shifting payments or maximizing federal funding—available to them.

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We Did What We Could So Far . . . Now We Wait

pcullen@careproviders.org — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 21:34:00 GMT

We have spent the past month meeting with legislative leaders, and leaders from the administration—Lieutenant Governor Yvonne Prettner Solon and Department of Human Services Commissioner Lucinda Jesson—talking about our issues and needs; and reminding them about the value of the services our members provide to older adults and persons with disabilities.

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