subject: Widmer To Address Elder Advocates - Mass Home Care Holds June 21st Annual Meeting [print this page] Widmer To Address Elder Advocates - Mass Home Care Holds June 21st Annual Meeting
The meeting will also feature addresses by two of the Patrick Administration's top human services officials: Secretary of the Executive Office of Health & Human Services, Dr. JudyAnn Bigby, and Elder Affairs Secretary Ann Hartstein.
Mass Home Care has voted to oppose two ballot questions on the November ballot that rollback the sales tax in Massachusetts.
"These two proposals would drain state coffers of $1 billion in revenues," warned Mass Home Care President Paul Lanzikos, who is finishing a two year term at the helm of the statewide Mass Home Care group. "We already have 3,000 elders waiting to get into home care. Can you imagine the line if the Commonwealth loses another $1 billion?"
According to Lanzikos, the losses from the sales tax reduction could be as high at $2.5 billion the following fiscal year.
Mass Home Care will also describe network efforts to prevent the state from forcing 110,000 seniors into health care plans they did not choose, and a new initiative to counsel people heading for a nursing home about their options to remain in the community. A budget Conference Committee is currently considering the "passive enrollment" proposal.
In recent days, Mass Home Care has also been focusing calls into U.S. Senator Scott Brown in support of extending Medicaid funding for low income seniors in the Commonwealth. If the federal Medicaid funds are not passed, the state will lose more than $600 million in revenues, and force budget writers to cut more programs for low-income people.
About 300 people are expected at the Mass Home Care Annual event, which begins at 11:30 am on June 21st at the Burlington Marriott. The new President of Mass Home Care will also be announced at the session.
RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED. EMAIL: info@masshomecare.org
