TRENTON — Advocates for the poor and disabled Monday called on lawmakers to restore funding to several critical programs slated to be cut in Gov. Chris Christie’s proposed $29.4 billion budget. The advocates, speaking in Paramus as the state Senate Budget Committee kicked off the Legislature’s review of the budget, said they fear Christie’s yet-to-be detailed plan to overhaul...
TRENTON — Advocates for the poor and disabled Monday called on lawmakers to restore funding to several critical programs slated to be cut in Gov. Chris Christie’s proposed $29.4 billion budget.
The advocates, speaking in Paramus as the state Senate Budget Committee kicked off the Legislature’s review of the budget, said they fear Christie’s yet-to-be detailed plan to overhaul Medicaid, and his proposals to increase co-pays and cut reimbursements to nursing homes and adult day care centers.
The plea to release more specifics about the Medicaid plan is expected to grow louder in upcoming weeks and represents an emerging battleground in this year’s budget talks.
"It’s a broad change, but there is too little information. We need to know the changes," Lowell Arye, executive director for the Alliance for the Betterment of Citizens with Disabilities, said at the four-hour hearing.
While the public will have to wait for full details of the changes, Christie has said he wants to move Medicaid recipients into managed care and announced some other changes.
Christie has proposed implementing a $3 co-pay at adult day care centers, which take care of more than 12,000 adult residents with mental and physical disabilities. The move is expected to save the state about $1.9 million.
Advocates said the co-pay, though small, would deter many disabled residents and their families from using the adult day care centers. They said the already cash-strapped facilities would then see less money due to declining enrollment.
Nilda Maldinado, whose daughter has cerebral palsy and attends the Passaic County Elks Cerebral Palsy Center, said the facility has provided a comforting atmosphere for her daughter while allowing her to go to work. "Without this place, I don’t know what I would do," said Maldinado.
Christie also wants to cut reimbursements to nursing homes.
Paul Langevin Jr., executive director of the Health Care Association of New Jersey, said his members recognize the state’s fiscal situation, but the cuts to nursing homes are starting to reach to the bone. He said nursing homes are already losing $29 a day per individual under Medicaid, but Christie’s plan will drive that to $35.
In order to qualify for Medicaid, nursing home patients can have no more than $2,000 in assets, which means if nursing homes can’t afford to provide care, it will be left up to hospitals at "a higher cost to the taxpayer," warned Langevin.
Christie spokesman Kevin Roberts said the proposals are just part of the governor’s larger plan to reshape Medicaid, which faces a $1 billion shortfall next year even with $240 million in planned cuts. The shortfall is a result of the poor economy pushing up enrollment numbers and the expiration of about $1 billion in federal stimulus dollars. He said the administration is "in the early planning and design phase" and the solutions will be discussed "in the near future."
Previous coverage:
• N.J.'s poorest residents fear Christie budget will cut Medicaid funds
• Christie vetoes bill to expand Medicaid to more women seeking family-planning services
• Christie may propose cutting Medicaid spending, employee benefits to help close $10.5B budget gap
• Gov. Christie delivers budget address to N.J. Legislature - live coverage
• State aid for N.J. municipalities to remain flat under Christie's proposed budget
• Gov. Christie to beef up state aid for schools by $250M, sources say
• Gov. Christie's budget to include $200M in business tax cuts
• N.J. residents concerned over proposed Medicaid changes at first Senate budget hearing
• Christie budget to cut $540M from Medicaid funds, transfer participants into managed care
• N.J.'s poorest residents fear Christie budget will cut Medicaid funds
• Christie vetoes bill to expand Medicaid to more women seeking family-planning services
• Christie may propose cutting Medicaid spending, employee benefits to help close $10.5B budget gap
• Gov. Christie delivers budget address to N.J. Legislature - live coverage
• State aid for N.J. municipalities to remain flat under Christie's proposed budget
• Gov. Christie to beef up state aid for schools by $250M, sources say
• Gov. Christie's budget to include $200M in business tax cuts