Once again the Personal Care Assistance (PCA) Program is under attack! This time, it's the Baker Administration and their response to a recent Department of Labor requirement to pay PCA's overtime. Instead of paying overtime, they want to cut back the number of hours a PCA can be paid to 40 hours/week. The proposed regulation, due to come into effect September 1st, will only allow a PCA to work a cumulative total of 40/hours per week for all the people they work for unless an exception is given. So if "Jane" has a well developed employer relationship with a good PCA who has been working 48 hours/week for her, effective September 1st, she'll have to find a second PCA to work the 8 hours. Or if "Mary" is a PCA for "Roberto" 35 hours/week and "Agnes" 25 hours per week for a total of 60 hours per week, under the proposed new regulations "Roberto" will need to reduce his hours with either "Agnes" or "Roberto" or both.

How big a problem is this? Let's look at some of the numbers. There are 28,000 people on the PCA program and 38,000 PCAs. Seven thousand three hundred PCA users have workers who work more than 40 hours/week. More than 6,000 PCA's work overtime. The program costs approximately $700 million per year. MassHealth reports overtime is costing the state an additional $1 million per week that they feel "can't be sustained". Their proposal is to "rein in" costs by capping hours at 40/week and creating "exceptions" that will need to be approved on a case by case basis, but if approved not to exceed 60 hours/week. It's unrealistic and unreasonable to expect that 7,300 PCA users can apply for and receive heretofore undefined "exceptions" on a regular basis. We shouldn't have to live by "exception". Mind you, this is all supposed to be put into place by September 1st. Are you getting nervous?

Despite the fact that Massachusetts has been making painfully slow but steady gains in moving away from institutional care, i.e. nursing homes to community based living using's PCAs, we are still in the lower 2/3rd in the county. Massachusetts has a nursing home budget of $1.3 billion annually and supports over 413 Medicare/Medicaid approved nursing homes for approximately 38,000 people. This is twice the cost or more of the PCA program! This is the discussion we should be having. The solution shouldn't be the poor public policy we are witnessing with the PCA program but rather how do we continue shifting institutional resources into community programs. Re-balancing the institutional bias is our primary goal.

Let's begin expressing ourselves at the upcoming EOHHS public hearing on June 24th at 10 am at the UMass Medical Center in Worcester. Let's express our righteous indignation and anger at how this will effect our lives. Let it be known that the bureaucrats cannot get away with one public hearing in Worcester with no available public transportation and with virtually no notice. We demand additional statewide public hearings.

If you think this isn't about you, that you don't need to let your voice be heard, you are mistaken. Your current PCA may take another job which results in working more than 40 hours/week or more.

Our lives are at stake; our right to choose and hire PCAs so that we can live in the community is in peril.

The DPC does not support this egregious proposal and hopes that you and your PCAs will join us in unison to share in our collective opposition.

Charles Carr                               John Winske

Legislative Liaison                    Executive Director

DPC                                              DPC 
[email protected]    [email protected]

This article is from the DisabilityScoop.com.  It blames the new overtime rules for the shortage.  I think the blame is better placed on shortsightedness of  state Medicaid agencies.  Nonetheless, this article points out that what MassHealth is proposing is part if a national trend. You can find the article here. 

When:  Wednesday, June 15, 2016, 2:00 P.M. - 4:00 P.M.

Where:  BRA Boardroom, 9th floor, Boston City Hall, Boston, MA  02201

This event is hosted by the Mayor's Commission for Persons with Disabilities. Attendees will have the opportunity to help set the City's 2016 - 2017 accessibility agenda, hear updates on our current initiatives, and get their questions about access and inclusion in Boston answered.

If you have questions, concerns, or comments about disability issues, we want to hear from you!
Come out and tell us about your access priorities!

• Hear updates from Disability Commissioner Kristen McCosh
• Meet members of Boston's Disability Commission Advisory Board
• Make your concerns about accessibility known to City Officials
• Network with Disability Community Friends over Free Refreshments

Please plan to join us this year on Wednesday, June 15th at Boston City Hall.

ASL and CART provided. This is a scent-free event.

To request an accommodation, contact us by June 1st at:
[email protected] or call 617-635-3682 / 617-635-2541 TTY

For more information, visit www.cityofboston.gov/disability.

Please see the flyer linked below for more details - and help us spread the word about this event to the disability community.

When: Monday, June 20, 2016, 9:30 A.M. - 3:30 P.M.

Where:  Edward's House, 1 Badger Road, Framingham, MA   01702

Help Grow Deaf Peer Support in Massachusetts

See DEAF Mental Health Recovery Videos

All videos in ASL.  All discussion in ASL.

CART services confirmed.  ASL Interpreters Requested.

Free - RSVP Please - Lunch Provided

For more information or to register

[email protected]

[email protected]

VP: 617 606-7508

Hearing: 617 442-4111 

Sponsored by Transformation Center

with gratitude to the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health for support.