The N.C. Senate needs to follow the lead of the N.C. House of Representatives in unanimously supporting House Bill 5, which would provide a “temporary funding extension for group homes.”
In December state legislators wrote a budget that cut Medicaid funding, and made some who live in group homes ineligible to receive personal care services by raising the threshold needed to qualify for aid.
Those who lost their funding are able to appeal, and during their appeals they are still entitled to receive full benefits until the appeal is completed. This appeals process, though, is moving much more quickly than most had anticipated.
This rapid legal process has exacerbated the need for a solution. If the legislature doesn’t take action soon, the affected group home residents may have nowhere to go, forcing people who cannot perform daily tasks on their own into the street.
House Bill 5 would extend personal care services funding until the end of June for people who have been told they will no longer receive assistance from the state.
This extra time will allow all parties involved to find a solution without leaving some of the state’s most vulnerable residents to fend for themselves.
The money for this continued funding will come from a $39.7 million fund in the 2012-13 state budget that had originally been intended for funding for those who live in in-home living arrangements. The group homes would stay open without costing the state extra money.
Governments have to face tough budgetary choices, but economic difficulties have also highlighted the need for compassion when facing serious issues.
The passage of House Bill 5 will allow time for a more thoughtful and long-term solution to this distressing problem.
