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Massachusetts Commission for the Blind

Line Item	Description	FY01	FY05	H1 for FY06	House Budget for FY06
4110-0001	Administration	$1,159,477	$939,292	$1,104,714	$1,099,067
4110-1000	Community Srvcs.	4,093,938	3,733,070	3,653,326	3,711,958
4110-1010	SSI for the Blind	8,369,809	8,351,643	8,351,643	8,351,643
4110-1020	Admin/Medicare	421,813	321,461	316,884	315,769
4110-2000	Turning 22	7,798,576	8,074,775	8,891,043	8,611,435
4110-2001	Turning 22 New	320,000	297,000	4110-2000	295,000
4110-3010	Voc. Rehab	2,675,450	2,588,521	2,588,521	2,588,521
4110-4000	Ferguson Ind.	2,125,949*	1,885,073	1,847,796	1,843,525
Total	MCB	26,965,012	26,190,835	26,753,927	26,816,918
* This FY01 figure includes the $387,000 that MCB reports it received in a supplemental budget for rent.

This chapter focuses on the House of Representatives’ FY06 budget recommendations for the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind (MCB). For additional information on the impacts of FY01–FY05 budget cuts and more details about program services, go to the People First website at www.mass.gov/mddc/peoplefirst/index.html and click on the MCB chapter in the Volume I table of contents.

HOUSE BUDGET OVERVIEW

The House budget recommends $62,991 more than does H1 for FY06, yielding a total
recommendation that is 2.4% above FY05 funding. Neither the House budget nor H1 for FY06 provides maintenance funding for the Community Services account (never mind needed expansion for the Deaf/Blind Community Access Network waiting list). Both budgets also fail to provide the needed increase for Vocational Rehabilitation to enable more students with vision impairments to go to college. Overall, the House budget comes closer than H1 for FY06 to providing for current MCB salaries, and both budgets do provide for the FY06 Turning 22 students. However, both budgets also under-fund needed annualization for the FY05 Turning 22 students (to continue services started to new participants in FY05). Both budgets continue to erode the Ferguson Industries program. Advocates are calling for restorations of MassHealth coverage for visual, dental, preventative mental health, and other medical services that were cut in FY02. MCB-involved individuals often need new eyeglass prescriptions multiple times per year as their vision deteriorates.

Advocates are requesting that $250,000 be restored to MCB’s Community Services account (line item 4110-1000).

Line Item Analysis

Account: Administration
Line Items: 4110-0001 and 4110-0003

The Administration account funds the administrative expenses of MCB. The Commission administers financial assistance, establishes eligibility for Medicaid, and provides social and vocational services for the blind

Line Item	Description	FY01	FY05	H1 for FY06	House Budget for FY06
4110-0001	Administration	$1,159,477	$939,292	$1,104,714	$1,099,067

House Budget Recommendations

The House budget recommends an amount that is $159,775 (17%) above the FY05 level. However, the House budget figure is $5,647 below H1 for FY06. MCB reports that $156,000 of this increase is for chargebacks—money MCB must pay to the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) for centralized administrative services.

Account: Community Services
Line Item: 4110-1000

The Community Services account provides a range of supports that enable adults and children with blindness to live in the community. In FY04, MCB served 7,500 clients through this account.

Line Item	Description	FY01	FY05	H1 for FY06	House Budget for FY06
4110-1000	Community Srvcs.	4,093,938	3,733,070	3,653,326	3,711,958

FY06 Needs

MCB has established the need for an additional $250,000 for this account in FY06. The funds would bring the appropriation up to $3,983,070, still almost 3% below FY01’s funding. The funds are for three areas: $50,000 for technology for blind elders; $50,000 in expansion money for the Deaf/Blind Community Access Network, which has 8–10 individuals on a waiting list; and $150,000 for rehabilitation training, vision utilization, and communication services in community settings. Advocates support this increase.

House Budget Recommendations

The House budget recommends $58,632 above H1 for FY06 for this account; this amount is still $21,112 below FY05. Both budgets recommend below-maintenance funding, which will erode current services. Line item language earmarks $350,000 for the Deaf/Blind Community Access Network and $500,000 for the talking information center (Radio Reading Program).

Account: State Supplemental Security Income (SSI) for the Blind
Line Item: 4110-1010

The State Supplemental Security Income (SSI) for the Blind account funds benefits that augment those of the federal SSI program. Like federal SSI—an income supplement program funded by general tax revenues—this state program provides a modest cash benefit to low-income elderly, blind, and blind/disabled persons. In addition to monthly benefit payments, this account also funds minimal Emergency Assistance for its participants. Currently, about 4,175 Massachusetts residents receive benefits. People over the age of 65 make up more than 70% of this caseload.

Line Item	Description	FY01	FY05	H1 for FY06	House Budget for FY06
4110-1010	SSI for the Blind	8,369,809	8,351,643	8,351,643	8,351,643

FY06 Needs

The FY03 budget cut $18,166 from this line item, which had been level-funded for years.

House Budget Recommendations

Both the budget House budget and H1 for FY06 recommend level funding only for this program.

Account: Administration/Medicare
Line Item: 4110-1020

The Administration/Medicare account funds administrative staff who determine whether blind applicants are eligible for Medicaid. When an individual is found to be eligible, Medicaid benefits are then administered through the Division of Medical Assistance (DMA). The range of services available is the same as for all other Medicaid recipients: hospital, outpatient, physician and nursing home services; as well as medication, diagnostic, preventive and rehabilitative services.

Line Item	Description	FY01	FY05	H1 for FY06	House Budget for FY06
4110-1020	Admin/Medicare	421,813	321,461	316,884	315,769

FY06 Needs

This account has been cut 25% since FY02 without any subsequent restorations.

House Budget Recommendations

The House budget recommends $1,115 less than H1 for FY06, or $5,692 (1.7%) less than FY05. MCB reports that the under-funding will cut significant hours from its nurse consultant contract, a position needed to help blind people obtain Medicaid prior approvals for services and devices. This example demonstrates how a small cut in dollars can have a very large impact on MCB participants.

Accounts: Turning 22 (T22) and Turning 22 New (T22 New)
Line Items: 4110-2000 and 4110-2001

The Turning 22 (T22) account funds community-based support and residential services for older deaf/blind and multi-disabled individuals and those who turned 22 in the previous year. This account should grow each year to annualize services to enrolled young people. Currently, residential services are provided to 69 individuals with multiple disabilities. An additional 418 deaf/blind and multi-disabled people receive some community-based support services through this account.

Line Item	Description	FY01	FY05	H1 for FY06	House Budget for FY06
4110-2000	Turning 22	7,798,576	8,074,775	8,891,043	8,611,435
4110-2001	Turning 22 New	320,000	297,000	4110-2000	295,000
Totals:		8,118,576	8,371,775	8,891,043	8,906,435

FY06 Needs

MCB has established the need for $295,000 to support 6 new Turning 22 (line item 4110-2001) program participants in FY06, and an additional $467,000 to fully annualize FY05’s T22 participants (line item 4110-2000). The total combined funding need for both accounts is $8,836,775, without building back the FY02 service cuts. With the salary reserve dollars (to annualize the FY05 POS Salary Reserve initiative for the lowest-paid direct care workers), the accounts need a combined funding level of $8,926,775.

House Budget Recommendations

The House budget recommends $534,660 above the FY05 funding level for Turning 22 needs. This increase includes approximately $90,000 for the salary reserve initiative for the lowest-paid direct care workers. Keeping in mind the salary reserve funds, MCB reports the account would be about $20,340 short of full funding for annualized services to Turning 22 program participants. New Turning 22 (line item 4110-2001) participants are fully funded, with the House budget recommending $15,392 above that in H1 for FY06.

Account: Vocational Rehabilitation (VR)
Line Item: 4110-3010

The Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) account funds evaluation and assessment, the Technology for the Blind program, vocational training and equipment (including software), job placement assistance, and post-employment services. The goal of MCB's VR program is to assist all eligible and interested blind persons to secure employment, independent homemaker status, or noncompetitive employment, depending upon their interests and abilities. In FY04, there were 1,400 active participants; 194 were rehabilitated.

Line Item	Description	FY01	FY05	H1 for FY06	House Budget for FY06
4110-3010	Voc. Rehab	2,675,450	2,588,521	2,588,521	2,588,521

FY06 Needs

MCB has established the need for an increase of $175,000 to this account to serve blind college and university students. Advocates report that MCB is serving 90 college and university students at present, but that in FY06 the number will jump to 150.

House Budget Recommendations

Both the House budget and H1 for FY06 recommend level funding only for the VR account.

Account: Ferguson Industries
Line Item: 4110-4000

Ferguson Industries employs people with multiple disabilities to perform light industrial work producing home and office products for sale. A Homebound Program funds persons who work in their homes producing articles that are sold by Ferguson Industries. Sales bring in about $900,000 in revenues annually. A portion of the revenues is returned to MCB, and any amount over $700,000 goes back into the general fund. Currently, 34 blind/multi-disabled workshop employees are employed at Ferguson, down from 45 persons 11 years ago.

Line Item	Description	FY01	FY05	H1 for FY06	House Budget for FY06
4110-4000	Ferguson Ind.	2,125,949*	1,885,073	1,847,796	1,843,525
* This FY01 figure includes the $387,000 that MCB reports it received in a supplemental budget for rent.

FY06 Needs

MCB has established the need for an additional $135,000 for this line item in FY06 to enhance Ferguson’s production capacity and to hire new workers.

House Budget Recommendations

The House budget recommends $4,271 less than does H1 for FY06. This amount is $41,548 (2.2%) less than the FY05 funding level.