Thanks to Rich Crocker of the State Commission on Aging and Patti Drelick of the NH Association of Senior Centers for sending on this information about the impacts of the NH House budget on seniors in our state.
This page has all the budget information for the Department of Health & Human Services (
DHHS
) since the beginning of the year.
DHHS BUDGET INFORMATION
Below are 2 documents which show the original Bureau of Elderly & Adult Services (BEAS) presentation to House Finance in March and then the Impacts of the final House budget passed in early April---see pages 16-27 and page 34 for final House budget impacts on seniors. Also, in the impact statements are the descriptions of the closing of 4 DHHS District offices--Claremont, Conway, Laconia and Rochester.
BEAS PRESENTATION
IMPACT
There's a lot of information here, but some of the "highlights" that you might want to talk about with your State Senator are:
- The 50% reduction in non-Medicaid Social Services, such as meals (home delivered and congregate), transportation and in-home care. These are all programs that keep us at home as we age, if we don't have sufficient income to hire our own providers or family who can contribute to our care with time and/or money. They are less expensive by far then providing care in nursing homes. These services were provided to 196,610 individuals in NH in the 2014 fiscal year. These cuts would also have great impacts on the many private and non-profit organizations who provide the services, and results in layoffs at DHHS and at the providers.
- The complete defunding of ServiceLink in NH. If you are not familiar with ServiceLInk, this is how our state provides the information that seniors and their families need to make long term care decisions. It's where all of us, no matter our financial resources, can get help with signing up for Medicare and Medicare D, finding home care for an aging relative who can no longer do housework or drive to appointments, learning about assisted living or other housing options, etc. DHHS is mandated to refer consumers to this network of state wide agencies for the information they need, and if the funding is cut, either we go without this information presented in a way that is easily understandable by knowledgeable staff, or the state will need to find another way to get this information out. ServiceLink works very, very well, why would we want to get rid of it?
*** ACTION ALERT ***
Please call or write your State Senator and ask them not to cut these programs and others that provide help to so many NH citizens. We are not a poor state, but here at the New Hampshire Alliance for Retired Americans we think we are a cheap state, and we hurt our economic future, never mind our people, by being so short-sighted. After all, we all will grow old and need some help one day. You can find contact information for your State Senator below.
There will be a public hearing in Representatives Hall on Tuesday, May 5, at 3:00 pm where the NH State Senate will take public comments on their proposed budget.