Contact Michael Strouse at:

CLO
2113 Delaware St.
Lawrence, KS 66046
(785) 865-5520

SRS to Propose ICF/MR Cut

by: Michael C. Strouse, Ph.D.

During the 2003 Legislative Session the legislature approved a 10% cut to ICF/MR rates. This cut was originally offered by SRS because a large ICF/MR program was supposed to voluntarily close and the 10% cut represented the savings achieved.

The problem is that the large ICF/MR did not close and there was no savings. This budget error was not corrected. SRS now intends to enact the cut anyway by cutting the rates for ICF/MR programs across-the-board in 2004. Unfortunately, this sweeping cut will deeply and immediately impact many Kansans having very significant needs living in small community-based ICF/MR group homes.

SRS has submitted to the Governor a request to fully fund ICF/MR rates for the remainder of this fiscal year. Cuts will be implemented if this supplemental request is not in the Governor's budget nor approved by the legislature.

CLO will continue to do everything in its power to fight the ICF/MR rate reduction, but we need your help. Please write to the Governor and/or your local legislators and encourage them to approve the SRS supplemental budget request for small community-based ICF/MR programs. Kansas cannot afford to reduce important services to its most needy citizens.