• View CCPA's Public Policy documents, including our comparison of COLA and the Consumer Price Index, our February 2009 Survey Results showing the impact of 0% COLA, our 2009 legislative agenda, and our Public Policy Newsletters here.

• See Documents related to Healthcare Reform in the 2009 CGA Session here.

• CCPA submitted several FOIA requests for state agencies' budget reduction options.  View the documents we received from each agency under the respective name.

• OPM recently announced major changes to their contract re-procurement plan.  View more details here.

• Click to view the 2008 CCPA Legislative Summary.

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CCPA Public Policy Updates:

• View Terry Edelstein's, President/CEO of CCPA, 6/19/09 memo to members of the General Assembly seeking their support for funding and budget implementer language.

• Read the 6/16/09 CCPA Public Policy broadcast containing important updates such as:
  1. Action Steps and Talking Points
  2. Special Session 6/19
  3. CCPA Communication w/ OPM on Cash Flow and the Governor’s Proposed Budget Cuts
  4. Update on Re-Procurement Discussions
  5. Associated Press Coverage 6/13/09
  6. Healthcare Reform Update
  7. State Agency Retirements
  8. Stimulus Money via BRS and BESB
  9. Retroactive BHP Rates
  10. CCPA Continues to Advocate for a DDS Pilot Study
  11. DCF and DMHAS Prepare for Potential Funding Lags
  12. Keeping Things in Perspective
  13. DDS Bulletin on July 1, 2009 Transition Date and CCPA Response

• CCPA writes to Secretary Genuario regarding community providers as essential state services.  Click to read the June 12, 2009 letter.

• CCPA Lines of Credit/Cash Flow Survey - Preliminary Findings as of 5/13/09 - Click to read the survey

• CCPA writes to members of the legislature urging their assistance, including Senate President Don Williams and Speaker of the House Chris Donovan. Click here to read the letter

• CCPA writes to the Governor seeking her assistance in assuring cash flow to community providers and in assuring adequate funding of the community provider system.  Click here to read the full letter."

• Read OPM Secretary Genuario's April 1,2009, Directive to Agency Heads about Personal Services Reduction Plans (PDF, 68 KB)

• Community Providers Priority List of Unfunded Mandates and Administrative Rule Changes- March 2009

The Community Provider Rescue Fund includes reducing and eliminating unfunded mandates and making administrative rule changes that reduce costs and improve efficiencies for community providers.  View the priority rule changes and unfunded mandates for which CCPA is seeking relief.

• Office of Policy and Management estimates further drop in state revenue ~ (From Governor Rell's 3/26 press release) Governor M. Jodi Rell announced the economy continues to erode all major revenue streams for the state, eroding the bottom line for her proposed two-year $38 billion budget presented to the Legislature nearly two months ago.

  The Office of Policy and Management outlined its revised revenue estimates 3/26 in a letter to the Governor. The report takes into account the latest projected tax revenues, including personal income tax and sales tax as well as casino revenues and other fees and estimates the cumulative two-year deficit at just over $7 billion.

• CCPA Op Ed Featured in Hartford Courant 3/24/09 ~ SEND IN YOUR LETTERS TO THE EDITOR NOW -- Today’s Hartford Courant featured a CCPA Op Ed about community provider funding issues.  Help to keep this commentary alive.  Email a quick letter to the editor adding your own opinions about the need to support community provider services and supports.

• OHCA Exemption Bill Negotiations Continue ~ CCPA has been working in conjunction with the Children’s League and CT Nonprofits to modify the OHCA statutes in order to exempt services funded or licensed by DCF from OHCA purview.  Following recent discussions with OHCA staff, there may be a willingness on the part of OHCA to extend that exemption to DMHAS contracted services.  Although the Public Health Committee passed S.B. 980 An Act Concerning Certificates of Need 3/23, unchanged, there is the commitment to continue negotiations among legislators, OHCA officials and the trade associations.

• Community Provider Rescue Fund Passed the Human Services Committee ~ H.B. 6609 An Act Concerning a Community Provider Rescue Fund has moved from the Human Services Committee for analysis by the Office of Fiscal Analysis, after which it should be sent to the Appropriations Committee.  Please continue to ask legislators to support this legislation that will provide an ongoing commitment to community-based services and supports through a combination of a Commission and bonding and grant making options.

Thank you CCPA members for your support and advocacy related to the Community Provider Rescue Fund legislation (HB 6609).  You can view the Community Provider Rescue Fund bill here with minor additions. 

At a meeting with Senate President Don Williams 3/11, Terry Edelstein sought support for the bill.  Senator Williams referenced bonding as a way of helping to address the economic crisis.  The Rescue Fund bill includes $65M in bonding for private providers. 

We will continue to advocate for support of this legislation.  Please contact your legislators and urge their support.   Use CCPA’s Contact Your Legislator tool to communicate easily with your delegation.

Public Hearing for Community Providers Rescue Fund (Raised Bill 6609), Tuesday March 3rd ~ We had a great press conference on 3/3.  News Channel 8 covered the story and asked the Governor for a comment on our request for a Rescue Fund and for additional support.  We have also heard that the Hartford Courant and CT Post may include us in their political blogs.  View CCPA's 3/3 Press Release here.   

Click here to view the video clip that aired on Channel 8 here. 

Thank you to the many members who spoke at the press conference and those who spoke in the Human Services Committee in support of the Community Provider Rescue Fund bill HB 6609.  Special thanks to Senator Paul Doyle, co-chair of the Human Services Committee, for his participation in the press conference and support of the bill within his committee. 

You can view the Community Provider Rescue Fund bill here or see highlights of the bill below--please note that there has been Joint Favorable Substitute language added to the bill.

The development of a “Community Provider Rescue Fund” to provide grants to providers with purchase of service contracts to (1) provide an immediate remedy to budget shortfalls for community providers (2) establish a stable funding system for community providers; and (3) establish a consistent cost of service adjustment to avoid budget shortfalls in the future.  The bill also sets up a Community-Based Services Commission to study and make recommendations on a long-term funding solution for community providers.  It also gives the State Bond Commission power to authorize bonds up to an aggregate of $65M for community providers broken out as listed below:

DDS Grants-in-Aid for community providers - $29,215,829.

DCF Grants-in-Aid for community providers - $13,912,938.

DMHAS Grants-in-Aid for community providers - $9,553,005.

Judicial Grants-in-Aid for community providers - $4,058,592.

DSS Grants-in-Aid for community providers - $4,415,794.

DOC Grants-in-Aid for community providers - $1,680,886.

DPH Grants-in-Aid for community providers - $1,485,995.

Children’s Trust Fund Grants-in-Aid for community providers - $676,660.

Please discuss this bill with your legislators.  If you have “sponsors” let us know so that we can make sure they sign on to the bill.  E-mail agoduti@ccpa-inc.org.

• Healthcare Reform 2009 ~ Healthcare Partnership Community Forums Scheduled--CCPA has been working with the Office of the Speaker of the House and other House Democrats to promote healthcare reform efforts that would help community provider organizations to provide quality healthcare to staff at an affordable price.  We’ve been meeting weekly with key legislators and other interested parties to advocate for members regarding healthcare reform. 

  We encourage members to attend one of several meetings around the state to learn more about the Healthcare Partnership (schedule linked below), the proposal that would expand the state employee health insurance pool to nonprofit providers, municipalities and small businesses, on a voluntary basis.  We’ve included an overview, healthcare premiums and plan details at the links below. 

View a schedule of upcoming local meetings about the Healthcare Partnership.

View an overview of healthcare premiums and plan details of the Healthcare Partnership, distributed at the 3/20/09 meeting of the Healthcare Working Group.

Speaker of the House, Christopher Donovan, issued a 3/10/09 press release on this bill, which includes comments from CCPA.

Substitute language is available here:  JFS HB 6582 AA Establishing the Connecticut Healthcare Partnership.  The amended bill continues to include nonprofit organizations that contract with the state as eligible participants.  The timeline for implementation has been staggered.  View the estimated healthcare premiums with this bill to view how it may impact your agency. 

Healthcare Advocates are also supporting a more comprehensive reform bill known as Sustinet.  Click here to view that legislation HB 6600 AA Concerning the Establishment of the Sustinet Plan.

• Governor Rell Announces State Web Site To Track Stimulus Funds, Projects, Jobs ~ (from the Governor’s Press Release 3/6/09) Governor M. Jodi Rell unveiled a comprehensive state Web site to help citizens follow the flow of federal stimulus dollars into Connecticut, track the progress of stimulus-funded projects and monitor the availability and creation of jobs through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.  Connecticut has already begun receiving some of the $3 billion in federal stimulus money. Approximately $1.65 billion is in direct aid and grants while $1.3 billion is in the form of Medicaid assistance. The federal government estimates the ARRA will create and/or save more than 40,000 jobs in Connecticut.  You can visit the new website at www.recovery.ct.gov.

• Appropriations Committee and Democratic Leadership issue budget addendum ~ On March 9th, leadership from the Appropriations Committee released proposed cuts to deal with the budget deficit in addition to the cuts proposed already by Governor Rell.  Democratic leadership responded to the cuts, saying it is not the way they wish to move forward in balancing the budget.  You may view the 3/9/09 Democrat's Addendum to the Governor's Budget here.  Some cuts appear in one version and not in the other two.  Please read the detailed plans to understand the three different versions.  A proposal for a 5% cut to private providers is consistent throughout all three plans. 

• CCPA Sends Letter to Legislators ~ CCPA sent an email on 3/6/09 to all legislators detailing the results of our recent survey on the Impact of 0% in February.  View the 3/6/09 message here.

• 2/25 Legislation on Deficit Mitigation Restores Human Services Funding ~ The Legislature’s deficit mitigation bill (H.B. 6602) restores most DSS and DMHAS cuts that had been proposed in Governor Rell’s 3rd deficit mitigation plan issued a on Feb. 19th.  A new concept included in the legislation is a Commission on Enhancing Agency Outcomes that is to consider the merging of state agencies including DMHAS and DSS.  A DMHAS state run local mental health authority is to be combined administratively with Connecticut Valley Hospital.  The bill assumes savings of $220 M from “non-appropriated funds” plus $50 M in state contracts before the end of this fiscal year.  The state contracts targeted for reductions do not appear to be human services contracts.  To review the full bill as well as fiscal notes and policy analysis, See H.B. 6602 An Act Concerning Deficit Mitigation Measures for the Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2009. 

Legislative Leadership released a draft deficit mitigation plan that was debated by the House and Senate 2/25.  Governor Rell called the plan a "disappointment."  View her statement here.

Governor Rell’s third deficit mitigation plan released on February 19, 2009 included several “de-appropriations” including $1.8 M in savings to “De-appropriate Medicaid Adult Rehab Option Funding” and putting into place reductions proposed in the Governor’s FY10, FY11 budget ahead of July 1, 2009.  Some of these include:  “stricter utilization management of GA BHP” in the DMHAS budget and a long list of cuts in the DSS budget including “restructuring rates for methadone maintenance.”

• OPM releases new policy manual instating a waiver for procurement ~ Manual supplants existing manual, "Personal Service Agreements:  Standards and Procedures," and addresses state agency requirements when entering a POS or PSA contract.  Agencies are no longer required to re-procure services if they do not wish to, effective February 16 to June 30, 2011.  View the 2/17/09 cover memo from Secretary Genuario or the full manual, "Procurement Standards:  For Personal Service Agreements and Purchase of Service Contracts" here. The CT Nonprofit Human Services Cabinet issued comments on the draft manual on January 5th, view them here.

• Governor Rell releases 3rd mitigation plan ~ Governor Rell released her third deficit mitigation plan for FY09 on February 19th.  Follow the links below to review the 15 page plan.  The Governor’s plan includes several “de-appropriations” including $1.8M in savings to “De-appropriate Medicaid Adult Rehab Option Funding.”  We are seeking clarification of the impact on the MRO group home providers. Other aspects of the plan include putting into place reductions proposed in the Governor’s FY10, FY11 budget ahead of July 1, 2009.  Some of these include:  “stricter utilization management of GA BHP” in the DMHAS budget and a long list of cuts in the DSS budget including “restructuring rates for methadone maintenance.”  See page 5 of the plan for more detail. View the 2/19 press release or her full 2/19 plan here.

   

  Also see communication from Democratic leadership asking the Appropriations Committee to identify $2.8 B in potential cuts for the FY10, FY11 budget by March 9. Read their 2/19 press release and the letter to Appropriations here.

• Governor Rell Releases Her Budget ~ Read her Budget Address for FY2010 and 2011 to the Joint House and Senate on 2/4/09.  The Governor's full proposed budget for FY10 and FY11 is now online.  OPM Secretary Genuario gave a Powerpoint Presentation on February 4th, summarizing the Governor's budget.  View the full 2/4/09 presentation here.

We are pleased that the Governor has shown her support for community providers, but at the same time, even level funding represents a cut.  We appreciate the commitment to expanding services for individuals with disabilities as reflected in her budget.

Debate at the Capitol is already focusing on whether or not the Governor’s budget takes into account the full extent of the revenue shortfall, with estimates that the deficiency for FY10 and FY11 will be $2 B greater than projected. 

We had an opportunity to review the budget in detail we need to highlight a number of critical issues which will have an impact on service provision.  The budget “flat funds” most private provider line items, but there are some program shifts that result in spending reductions/ aka cuts – and there is no “cost of services” increase.  View CCPA's full budget analysis here.  CCPA also issued a Press Statement on the Budget on 2/4/09.

The Governor's Budget proposes new bonding for private providers in several accounts.  View CCPA's 2/9/09 Summary here.

The Office of Fiscal Analysis issued a Synopsis of the Governor's Budget on February 5th, available here.

• Talking Points for speaking with Lawmakers ~ Thank you to all of you who have been working with your local legislators to communicate the importance of adequately funding the community provider system.  CCPA staff and members have been meeting with key legislators to discuss the “core services” provided by our members.  We may be asking you to join us in meetings with legislators that serve your districts.  Please feel free to use these talking points in your conversations with your delegation.

CCPA Public Policy Documents:

CCPA 2009 Legislative Agenda

February 2009 CCPA Survey Results:  Impact of Governor's Proposed 0% Cost of Services Increase for FY10 and FY11

Healthcare Reform 2009: