California agencies receiving IOUs from the Governor for in-home care?

[nursel56]

Can anyone shed some light(whether from California or not!) on what I've been hearing- that the state has cut off Medi-Cal/Medicaid payments cold turkey thus not paying nurses thus patients left to fend for themselves?

Yes, "budget impasse" occurs so often here that it's almost a yawner, but thus far they have not stooped so low as to leave helpless people SOL r/t nurses not wanting to work for free? I never trust these statements coming from only one source, and I wouldn't have a clue where to find the particulars in the bureaucratic labrynth of budget-dom. Seems like they might put a few clerks on furlough before yanking the literal rug out from under these people.

To the agencies- is it normal to operate on such a shoestring from one pay period to the next? Any info or suggestions to research much appreciated.

[caliotter3]

Once was a state employee and got one of their "worthless" reminders instead of a real paycheck, but it was paid. This budget impasse happens every year like clockwork but never heard of the funds being cut off before. They are always threatening to lower the wages of IHSS workers to minimum wage or cut out the program altogether. Otherwise regular Medi-Cal cases have always been paid, although again, threats to cut. But agencies have cut wages, based upon real or imagined cuts to reimbursement rates.

[nursel56]

Thank you! I suspect there may be some tailoring of the true situation to justify certain actions being contemplated- not a huge surprise, though. . . .

[caliotter3]

Maxim is one agency that likes to cut their wages, saying that Medi-Cal has decreased reimbursement rates, when, in fact, it has not. Another agency I worked for, cut wages a couple of years back, saying that Medi-Cal had decreased reimbursement, and I think the reimbursement really was decreased that time. My current agency decreased wages, but I don't know if they use Medi-Cal as their excuse. I don't care to ask them.