Balancing the State Budget and Maintaining Health and Long-term Care F... Medicare Resource Center

Balancing the State Budget and Maintaining Health and Long-term Care Funding in California A Public Opinion Poll

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Californians are largely opposed to the state cutting or eliminating health and long-term care services in order to help balance the budget, according to this AARP 2005 random-sample telephone survey of California residents age 18+ in which two-thirds of respondents say that there is not enough state funding now to meet the needs for these services. Of those surveyed... 55 percent strongly (40%) or somewhat (15%) oppose the state's proposals to save about $260 million by freezing the cost-of-living adjustment for the federal cash benefit program (SSP) and withholding the cost-of-living adjustment for the federal cash benefit program (SSI). 84% strongly (71%) or somewhat (13%) oppose cutting wages of in-home supportive service workers from $10.10 to $6.75 per hour to save about $215 million per year after the first year. 51 percent strongly (37%) or somewhat (14%) oppose charging Medi-Cal beneficiaries a monthly premium to save the state about $43 million. 67 percent strongly (41%) or somewhat (26%) oppose eliminating the Senior Citizen Tax Assistance Program. 68 percent strongly (47%) or somewhat (21%) support reinstating the 10 and 11 percent income tax rates for higher income residents (to raise an estimated $3 billion in additional state revenue) if the funds were to be used to maintain health and long-term care services. This telephone survey of 1,200 California residents age 18 and over was conducted for AARP by Alan Newman Research during June 15-22, 2005. For more information, contact Jennifer Sauer at 202-434-6207. (10 pages) Cancel You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits. Your email address is now confirmed. You'll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP's mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age. You can also by updating your account at anytime. You will be asked to register or log in. Cancel Offer Details Disclosures

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