[indiana-l] Fw: FSSA Cuts Budget

[bigdaddylou63 at sbcglobal.net]

An informational alert prepared by Fifth Freedom

Information courtesy of the Associated Press, the Indianapolis Star, and the Journal Gazette

Indiana's Family and Social Services Administration announces $34 million in budget cuts

Indiana's Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) has announced $34 million in budget cuts.  The decision came in response to lower state revenues
and an increase in the number of people on Medicaid.

The budget cuts will be made in several ways:

List of 5 items
. Leaving 400 vacant jobs unfilled
. Reducing payments to hospitals for treating patients on Medicaid by five percent
. Reducing payments to vendors
. Merging local offices
. Capping and cutting some programs
list end

Among the programs to be cut is the Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities pilot program.  The program paid for home repairs and other household projects
to help the elderly stay in their homes.

In an announcement about the cuts, FSSA Secretary Anne Murphy said, "The reductions we are announcing today cut spending without cutting vital services.
 Our commitment is to the 1.2 million Hoosiers that receive benefits from us, and the cuts announced today will not take away from our clients receiving
the benefits to which they are entitled."

Due to lower tax revenues, state agencies across the board will be spending 20 percent lower than in the last fiscal year.  Even Governor Mitch Daniels
is not immune from cuts; he will be voluntarily refusing a scheduled $13,000 pay increase.

To see the official press release at FSSA's Web site, click here:
http://u.nu/4hdu3 .
  If clicking the link does not work, copy and paste the link into your browser's address bar.

Doug Schmidt

Act Team Coordinator
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