When governor Jerry Brown proposed his budget for the 2011-12 fiscal year on Jan. 11, one of the programs that looks to be hit the hardest is the Multipurpose Senior Service Program (MSSP) offered through Medi-Cal, the state’s health insurance program.

Services at the Jewish Family Services’ Freda Mohr Multipurpose Center on Fairfax Avenue could be jeopardized under the state budget proposed by Gov. Jerry Brown. (photo by Rafael Guerrero)

MSSP aids more than 12,000 seniors each month in California. The Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles (JFSLA) has been a part of the program since 1978 and currently aids more than 680 seniors in the city with cost-effective nursing care and other services provided through the program. MSSP is currently funded for $19.9 million.

“While the State of California’s safety net is already frayed from the last two years of cuts, the proposed budget cuts would create massive holes in social services funding that would be all but impossible to repair,” said Paul S. Castro, CEO of JFSLA.

The program serves seniors over the age of 65 who are eligible for Medi-Cal. JFSLA has five senior centers located in Los Angeles and potential clients are referred by social workers at the centers. The clients are then assigned a social worker and a nurse who visits the client once a month to check on their status. The program also provides clients with transportation to the hospital when needed.

“We understand that in order for these people to stay healthy they need to keep their doctor’s appointments and we help them with the transportation if need be,” Castro said.

MSSP also provides other services, such as housekeeping, to help relatives care for the seniors in the home. They also send out a nurse to care for the client if the relative is not able to on a particular day.

“It’s a cost-effective way to get in-home nursing treatment,” said David Gershwin, spokesperson for JFSLA.

A fact sheet provided by MSSP claimed that the public costs of treating an MSSP patient were 47 percent lower than the cost of nursing home care. It also claimed if the program was eliminated and 2,289, or 18 percent, of MSSP clients were placed in nursing home care, it would wipe out any savings to the state.

If MSSP is eliminated, the cost of providing care could be passed on to local governments, but Castro said most MSSP clients would likely be forced to find beds in nursing homes or they would just stay at home

“These seniors are probably going to have to stay home and they will die,” Castro said.

Brown’s proposed budget seeks for spending cuts to reduce the state’s budget deficit, which is projected to be $24.5 billion over the next 18 months. People with Medi-Cal would have their doctor’s visits capped at 10 per year under the proposals and a five dollar office co-payment and $50 emergency room co-payment would be added. Caps on annual benefits for items such as hearing aids and other medical equipment would also be added. Other spending cuts include reductions in welfare, social services and increased fees at community colleges and universities.

With all of the proposed cuts, Brown has taken a lot of criticism, but he did gain support from Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who commended the governor for taking an aggressive approach to dealing with the state’s massive deficit.

“The magnitude of the state budget crisis is unlike anything we have experienced since the Great Depression,” Villaraigosa said. “The governor presented an honest budget and showed his willingness to make the difficult decisions necessary to balance our state’s budget.”