BILL ANALYSIS
AB 2374
Page 1
Date of Hearing: April 28, 2010
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Felipe Fuentes, Chair
AB 2374 (Nestande) - As Amended: April 5, 2010
Policy Committee: Human
ServicesVote:5 - 0
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable:
SUMMARY
This bill extends the commencement date from January 1, 2009, to
January 1, 2011, for an In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS)
program pilot project that allows severely impaired IHSS
recipients the choice of receiving services through a public
authority or a contracting non-profit or proprietary agency. In
addition, it specifies that the project can be established with
less than five consenting counties.
FISCAL EFFECT
The original pilot project is estimated to cost approximately
$350,000 General Fund per year. Absent this extension, it is
likely that those funds would remain in the GF.
COMMENTS
1)Rationale . As noted below, in 2008, the Legislature enacted AB
1674 (Jones) to create a consumer choice demonstration project
in IHSS. The project was to test the results of allowing
consumers to choose whether to have an independent provider or
a provider supplied by a non profit or proprietary agency.
Each county was to assess the relative consumer satisfaction,
cost effectiveness, average turnover and worker satisfaction
under the pilot program compared to the existing program.
To date, no county has signed up to participate in the
project. AB 2374 would extend the start date of the pilot to
January 1, 2011, thus giving counties more time to enter into
the pilot program. In addition, this bill would allow the
state to implement the program with less than five counties.
AB 2374
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2)Consumer Choice Pilot Project . AB 1674 (Jones; Chapter 319,
Statutes of 2008) created pilot projects in five consenting
counties to offer severely impaired IHSS recipients a choice
of having services provided by a contracting nonprofit or
proprietary agency or by an individual provider through a
public authority. The pilots would expand consumer choices by
allowing recipients to choose whether to use a nonprofit or
for-profit contractor, or the existing system administered by
public authorities. The purpose is to enable recipients,
particularly those with severe impairments who are the least
able to self-direct their services, to have an alternative in
which the contractor takes responsibility for hiring,
scheduling, and supplying back-up workers when needed.
3)In-Home Supportive Services Program . The IHSS Program helps
pay for services so that the elderly, disabled, or blind
individuals can remain in their own homes. To be eligible, an
applicant must be over 65 years of age, disabled, or blind.
Disabled children are also eligible. IHSS is considered an
alternative to out-of-home care, such as nursing homes or
board and care facilities.
IHSS services are: housecleaning, meal preparation, laundry,
grocery shopping, personal care services (such as bowel and
bladder care, bathing, grooming and paramedical services),
accompaniment to medical appointments, and protective
supervision for the mentally impaired. IHSS consists of four
programs, including: Personal Care Services Program (PCSP),
IHSS Plus Waiver Program (IPW), IHSS Residual Program (IRP),
and Medi-Cal Waiver Personal Care Program (MWPCS). The PCSP,
IPW, and IRP are administered at the county level by county
welfare departments and at the State level by the Adult
Programs Division within CDSS. The Medi-Cal Waiver Personal
Care Services (MWPCS) Program is administered through
Department of Health Care Services. A portion of the costs for
IHSS services are paid by federal funding. The entire program
consists of over 400,000 recipients and on average 325,000
IHSS workers.
Under the current program, counties are allowed to determine
whether they want to provide individualized services through a
public authority or contracted services through a private
provider. Currently 56 of 58 counties operate a public
authority to provide individualized services. In addition,
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six counties contract out a portion of their IHSS caseload to
private agencies.
Analysis Prepared by : Julie Salley-Gray / APPR. / (916)
319-2081