Washington, DC – The U.S. Senate today approved an amendment to the reconciliation bill that would allow eight states to continue providing Adult Day Health Care (ADHC) services as an optional benefit under Medicaid state plans. In California, the amendment would protect 47,000 seniors and disabled people at risk of losing community-based health care services.

“This is a win for California’s senior citizens,” U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said. “The amendment ensures that the eight states (California, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Texas, and Washington) who offer adult day health care services under a Medicaid State Plan Amendment and have done so for more than 20 years can continue to offer their services as they do today. At a time of soaring health care costs, the Federal Government should be doing everything in its power to protect and promote cost-effective health care delivery systems.”

Without the amendment, co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-Texas), seniors in eight states -- California, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Texas, and Washington -- would be at risk of losing affordable, critical health care services.

Cosponsors of the amendment included: Senators Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Jon Corzine (D-N.J.), Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), and Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.). The amendment was endorsed by the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging.

Background on Adult Day Health Care in California:

• Adult Day Health Care (ADHC) is a daytime health program designed for low-income, frail elders and disabled adults who need assistance in managing chronic health or cognitive conditions. ADHC services include physical, occupational, and speech therapy to improve and maintain physical functioning; skilled nursing care to manage varying health needs and conditions; and individualized dietary and nutrition services for overall health management.

• Adult day health care is a lower cost Medicaid alternative to institutional care. The average monthly public expenditure for adult day health care is 23% of the cost of a nursing home ($714 versus $3,589). This monthly difference of $2,875 translates into an annual savings of $34,500 over nursing home care, according to the California Association of Adult Day Services.

• California has 353 adult day health care centers, servicing 47,000 adult day health care program participants, 64 percent of whom are female. The average age of a program participant is 78 and 63% are dependent on others for medication management.