skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, September 19, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Post-presidential debate poll shows a shift in WI; Teamsters won't endorse in presidential race after releasing internal polling showing most members support Trump; IL energy jobs growth is strong but lacks female workers; Pregnant, Black Coloradans twice as likely to die than the overall population.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The Teamsters choose not to endorse a presidential candidate, county officials in Texas fight back against state moves to limit voter registration efforts, and the FBI investigate suspicious packages sent to elections offices in at least 17 states.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

Caregivers Oppose $1.1 Billion Cut to WA Long-Term Care Services

play audio
Play

Friday, October 23, 2020   

OLYMPIA, Wash. - Caregivers for frail elders and people living with disabilities in Washington are concerned about the potential effects of more than a billion dollars in cuts to the state's long-term care services.

To fill part of the shortfall caused by COVID-19, the Department of Health and Human Services has proposed cutting long-term care services by $1.1 billion for the 2021 through 2023 budget.

Vicki Bickford is an in-home caregiver with Service Employees International Union Local 775. She said her client already needs around-the-clock care, and could suffer under these cuts.

"He doesn't actually get authorized for the amount of care that he needs," said Bickford. "He shouldn't be left alone. He can no longer get up or sit down without help - and he can't, basically, do any functions that involve him getting out of bed without help."

Last week, Bickford testified at the Joint Legislative Executive Committee on Planning for Aging and Disability Issues, along with other nursing and in-home caregivers, in opposition to these cuts.

A recent analysis found the state budget shortfall is $4.2 billion through 2023 - half as much as a more dire analysis in June.

Bickford said she had COVID-19 in March and still feels the effects. She said she's worried about what losing her caregiving income could mean.

"I lose income and my health is going to suffer," said Bickford. "It's going to go bad - even worse than it is now."

Bickford said she's frustrated with the state's "upside-down" tax code, with low- and middle-income residents paying a much larger share of their income than their richer peers. She said she believes the state should tax the wealthiest Washingtonians rather than make drastic budget cuts.

"They need to fix the roads so that we can drive to work," said Bickford. "They need to fix health-care systems so that we can get care. Not take it away. "

On Saturday, nursing home and in-home care providers hold a rally in Tacoma at 2 p.m.

Disclosure: SEIU 775 contributes to our fund for reporting on Budget Policy & Priorities, Health Issues, Livable Wages/Working Families. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
Including the $236 million in federal funding for wildland fire management recently announced for 2025, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has invested a total of $1 billion to the cause, according to the Department of the Interior. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

This month, the federal government announced funding for next year's wildfire management, totaling $236 million and experts hope threatened …


Social Issues

play sound

From gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson to Superintendent of Public Instruction hopeful Michele Morrow, some Republicans running for office have …

Social Issues

play sound

California is home to more than 181,000 people who are unhoused, with 75,000 in Los Angeles alone, so the Los Angeles Food Policy Council will host a …


The California Department of Conservation is holding a public meeting online on Sept. 24, to update the public on its progress in plugging abandoned oil wells. (Alizada Studios/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Groups concerned about pollution and climate change are asking Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign a trio of bills dubbed the "make polluters pay" package…

Social Issues

play sound

This week, National Voter Registration Day was another timely reminder for Ohioans preparing for the 2024 general election. The latest reports from …

Menhaden are forage fish species and filter feeders, each capable of filtering up to seven gallons of water per minute. (Photo of female Osprey with Menhaden/TRCP)

Environment

play sound

In Virginia's waters, the decline of a small but critically important fish is causing growing concern among conservation groups and fishermen alike…

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado voters will decide whether to change the state's constitution to ensure families have school choice as a fundamental right. Kallie Leyba…

Environment

play sound

By Claire Elise Thompson for Grist.Broadcast version by Kathryn Carley for New Hampshire News Connection reporting for the Grist-Public News Service C…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021