The Aging and Long-Term Services Administration (ALTSA) has released its State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2022 Biennium Decision Package. While the package has been sent to Gov. Jay Inslee’s office, the long-term care funding proposals included within are considered preliminary.
In this round of statewide budgeting, ALTSA proposes to:
- Increase the minimum eligibility for Medicaid clients. That action would end services for approximately 12,000 ALTSA Medicaid clients.
- Reduce assisted living caseload by 38%, or approximately 1,415 clients.
- Reduce skilled nursing by over 20%, or approximately 2,800 clients.
- Require clients to need assistance with four activities of daily living (ADL) — currently three ADLs.
- Reduce Medicaid reimbursement rates by 2.4%.
Read the full list of proposed budget cuts on LeadingAge Washington’s website.
The governor will review and consider ALTSA’s recommendations, along with other resources and community feedback, as he works to develop an annual budget for the state.
That means there is still time for stakeholders — long-term care staff, resident families, community members, readers of this article — to submit comments asking legislators to not cut funding for medically frail elderly citizens.
As Gov. Jay Inslee begins to develop his proposed budget for the 2021 legislative session, we hope you will join us in urging him not to include any rate cuts or eligibility changes for long-term care. Lending your voice to this cause can make a difference.
Tell Gov. Jay Inslee that now is not the time to cut funding for long-term — an industry that has been hit the hardest by COVID 19 through this online comment form.