New Horizons Un-Limited Inc. New Horizons Un-Limited Inc.Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's budget plan calls for drastic cuts to California's In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS), a program that helps pay for services that help people with disabilities remain in their own home. IHSS is one of the only alternatives to out-of-home care, such as nursing homes, for many low-income families. The Governor's plan calls for cutting caregiver wages from $9.50 an hour to $6.75 an hour and eliminating their health benefits all together. Additionally, parents, spouses and other relatives could no longer get paid through the program for the care they provide to their loved one. Eligibility guidelines would also change, resulting in nearly 75,000 Californians losing care via IHSS. State Senate Majority Leader Don Perata, D-Oakland, promised to appeal to his colleagues to take the IHSS cuts off the table. Hearings on the state budget will be held in late April. Health and Human Services Secretary Kim Belshe has said cuts to IHSS, a program that has grown 52 percent in five years to 300,000 enrollees, are necessary because of the state's $15 billion deficit. Contact your representatives and let them know how these cuts will affect you. To locate contact information, visit the State of California Legislative Counsel on-line at www.leginfo.ca.gov/.
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