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Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Overview of the Governor's
Executive Budget
Health & Human Services
Ohio Department of Health
· Reduces funding to Help Me Grow(HMG) by 7% ($5,084,000) by way of staff reductions and a decrease in subsidies to Family and Children First Councils.
· Reduces funding by14%($2,500,000) for The Bureau for Children with Medical Handicaps(BCMH) program.
· Reduces funding by 10%($1,335,000) for the Immunization Programfor children, adolescents, and adults.
· Reduces funding by7.5%($687,000) to Mother's & Children's Safety Net Serviceswhich provides prenatal, well childcare, and family planning services on a sliding fee scale.
· Eliminates100%($4,683,000) of state GRF funding to Federally Qualified Health Centers(FQHC), community-based programs that provide primary and preventive care including health, oral and mental health, substance abuse to persons of all ages, regardless of their ability to pay.
Dept. of Job and Family Services
· Reduces funding toEarly Care and Educationby9%($24,472,000). It also proposes to reduce eligibility to 125% of the federal poverty level (150% FPL currently), and reduce provider rates by7%.
· Reduces funding to theOhio Association of Second Harvest Food Banksby 14.3%($1,000,000).
· ReducesDisability Cash Assistanceby11% ($6,449,000), a program for the lowest income Ohioans, at or below 14% of the federal poverty level who are unable to work due to severe physical or mental impairments.
· Reduces County Allocation Line Itemsby13.3%($42,566,000). These funds support the local administration of Medicaid, Food Assistance, and Disability Assistance programs. It would allow county agencies to keep and use their mandated share toward TANF for local Food Assistance and Medicaid administration instead.
· Reduces the countyChild Support Matchby17% ($6,917,000) which funds programs such as locating absent parents; establishing paternity; obtaining child, spousal and medical support; and enforcing child support obligations. It also includes a hiring freeze.
· Eliminate100%($12,000,000) in supplemental Medicaid payments to Ohio Children's Hospitals.
Dept. of Mental Health
· Reduces the Community Medicationprogram by10%($1,992,000). This program assists community mental health boards with the purchase of psychotropic medication for indigent individuals and newly released inmates from Ohio prisons.
· Reduces the budget of theOhio Family and Children First Cabinet Councilby 5% ($161,000) which is to reduce the stipends paid to parent representatives, audits, and technical assistance.
Dept. of Alcohol & Drug Addiction Services
· Redirects 90.5%($36,810,000) of the funds for the 50 Alcohol Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) &Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services(ADAS) boards to the Medicaid program to be administered by the Ohio Dept. of Job and Family Services.
Dept. of Developmental Disabilities
· Cuts by 30.5%($55,048.00) the ODD Department Subsidiescurrently paid to county boards for services that include respite care, family counseling, training and education, adaptive equipment, and home modifications.
Dept. of Transportation
· Reduces financial assistance to Ohio's Public Transit Systemsby49%($9,358,000). A portion of the funds are used to provide off-set a 50% reduction in fares for individuals who are elderly or have a disability.
Dept. of Rehabilitation and Correction
· The proposedsale of 5 Ohio Prisons, 2 public, 2 private, and 1 vacant facility is anticipated to generate revenue and a savings to the Dept. of Rehabilitation and Corrections budget. The proceeds are said to benefit communities located in Ashtabula, Lorain and Marion counties. The operational savings reflected in the proposed budget are $9,272,000. The sale of the five of Ohio's 31 prison facilities is projected to generate $200,000,000.
· Sentencing Reform is estimated at saving the State of Ohio $27,034,000 over the next two years. As proposed, low-level offenders would be diverted to community based corrections programs.
For any questions or concerns, contact: Timothy Roe, Director, Public Policy at (614) 224-8146 or troe@ouw.org.
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