Provider Watch - March 18, 2009 - House Appropriations Recommends Provider Rates Restoration

This morning, the House Appropriations Committee voted to approve the CPA rate restoration and Medicaid Provider rates for FY2010.  This is good news for providers.

The House and Senate passed the FY2009 amended budget last week and the Governor signed the bill that restored for the last quarter of the year the Child Placing Agency rates for the lowest three levels of care.  We are pleased that the House and Senate and Governor heard the difficulty our agencies were having in caring for State custody children in our private agencies with per diems that have been cut over 25% to 50% in the last two years and agreed to restore the rates to our Child Placing Agencies.

The full House and Senate will be taking up the FY2010 budget this week.  We need to continue our advocacy with the full House and the Senate as the budget quickly moves forward. 

We know that rate cuts to our agencies have had a significant impact on the children that we serve.  Since DHR implemented CPA rate cuts in October, we know four CPAs have closed their doors to serving children.  Over the past two years, rate cuts have been partially responsible for more than 165 agencies closing.  Our agencies can not handle any more cuts.  If Georgia is to maintain any capacity in the private sector in Child Placing Agencies, then looking to rate cuts to balance the State budget is not the way to do it. 

The Senate Appropriations Committee takes up this budget this week.  We need to contact their budget leadership regarding our concerns.  We need to focus on the Senate Appropriations Committee and the House and Senate Conference Committee on the budget. 

It matters that you email these legislators.  The email letter need not be very sophisticated, but heart felt and include a specific ask.  Please take a moment to write an email to these Legislators thanking them for the restoration in FY09 and asking that they restore "Child Placing Agency reimbursement rates for the lowest 3 levels of care." 

Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle - 240 State Capitol, Atlanta, GA 30334 FAX: (404) 656-6739 email
Glenn Richardson – Speaker of the House, Room 332 State Capitol, Atlanta, Georgia 30334 glenn.richardson@house.ga.gov

Senate Appropriations Conference Committee Members:
Senator Jack Hill (R-Reidsville) - jack.hill@senate.ga.gov  (404) 656-5038
Senator Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock) chip.rogers@senate.ga.gov   (404) 463-1378
Senator Tommie Williams (R-Lyons) - tommie@tommiewilliams.com   (404) 656-0089

House Appropriations Conference Committee Members:
Representative Ben Harbin (R-Evans) - ben.harbin@house.ga.gov  404.463.2247 
Representative Jerry Keen (R-St. Simons Island) - jerry.keen@house.ga.gov   404.656.5052
Representative Mark Burkhalter (R-Johns Creek) - mark.burkhalter@house.ga.gov   404.656.5072

Senate Human Resources Subcommittee of Appropriations - Select Members
Renee Unterman Senator Renee Unterman -- Gwinnett  renee.unterman@senate.ga.gov (404) 463-1368
Greg Goggans - Douglas - greg.goggans@senate.ga.gov  (404) 463-5263
Johnny Grant Milledgeville, GA - johnny.grant@senate.ga.gov (404) 656-0082
Don Thomas - Dalton, Ga. - don.thomas@senate.ga.gov  (404) 656-6436
John Wiles - Kennesaw - john.wiles@senate.ga.gov (404) 657-0406

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Provider Watch, an email newsletter of the
Georgia Association of Homes
and Services for Children
as a public service.
http://www.gahsc.org                            
                            Normer Adams, Editor
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Catalyst for CARE Annual Conference April 27-29, 2009

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