Governor Wolf's 2015-16 Department of Human Services' Budget to Focus on Stronger Supports for Pennsylvania's Most Vulnerable and Efficient Service Delivery

HARRISBURG, Pa., March 3, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Governor Wolf's proposed 2015-16 budget for the Department of Human Services (DHS) commits critical funding to Pennsylvania's most vulnerable families by focusing on outcomes, creating efficiencies and realizing cost savings in service delivery.

"The Governor's proposed budget provides Pennsylvanians with the opportunity to live healthy and productive lives," said Acting Secretary of Human Services Ted Dallas. "His plan builds on the services the Department already provides by making new strategic investments in services for Pennsylvania families, while increasing efficiency in service delivery, producing tangible cost savings and realizing positive outcomes for our most vulnerable residents of the Commonwealth."

Governor Wolf's proposal prioritizes funding in the Department of Human Services' budget to reach senior citizens, children, low-income families, and Pennsylvanians with intellectual and physical disabilities. Highlights include:

• Closing the Health Care Coverage Gap.  Governor Wolf is expanding Medicaid; consolidating into a single system, closing the coverage gap for hundreds of thousands of working adults, and reducing state General Fund costs by more than $500 million next year.  
  The consolidation plan will streamline delivery of health care services to alleviate confusion and remove unnecessary red tape to ensure that no individual experiences loss of coverage, and more move toward better health outcomes for Pennsylvania residents by expanding coverage for over 500,000 Pennsylvanians.
• Reducing Waiting Lists for Individuals with Physical and Intellectual Disabilities. The 2015-16 budget includes a total of $45.9 million to reduce waiting lists and expand services for vulnerable Pennsylvanians. Included is an additional $19.3 million to provide home and community-based services to 1,050 individuals with intellectual disabilities and autism, and $12.8 million to fully annualize the 2014-15 program expansion.
• Expanding Services for Older Pennsylvanians.   The Wolf Administration will launch programs that allow seniors to age with dignity.  The budget expands home and community-based long term care programming by directing an additional $31 million to DHS to enable additional older Pennsylvanians obtain care in their home this year. 
  
  With this expansion, the Commonwealth will hit a major marker – more than 50 percent of residents receiving long term care will do so in a home or community setting. Not only is this expansion essential to respecting residents' preference on where to receive care, but it is also a fiscally responsible move for the Commonwealth and offsets $162 million in long term care costs.
• Improving the Quality of Child Care Programs. The budget includes $17.8 million in increased federal funding to provide child care assistance to an additional 3,600 children; $13.4 million in additional funds for the Rising STARS initiative, which creates incentives for early child care and education providers to provide higher quality child care for our most at-risk children, giving them a strong foundation for the future; and $3.9 million in federal funds for an additional 60 staff for child care inspections as a result of the reauthorization requirements of the Child Care and Development Block Grant program.

For more information on the services provided by DHS, visit www.dhs.state.pa.us.

MEDIA CONTACT: Kait Gillis – 717.425.7606

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Human Services

Related Links

http://www.dhs.state.pa.us/