Department of Social Services Proposes Cuts
Air Date:02/17/2011
By Jackelyn Severin
The Department of Social Services presented its budget proposals to the Joint Appropriations committee. The agency proposes several cuts including the Governor’s 10 percent cut to Medicaid reimbursement rates. Opponents of cutting Medicaid funding say this will hurt Mental Health and Drug Abuse facilities in the state.
Terry Dosch is with the South Dakota council of Mental Health Centers. He says community health centers will have to cut staff.
Dosch says, “Its gonna impact our availability of services in rural areas, it can’t help but. For some of rural outreach or satellite offices I foresee that we’re going to have to close those, we’re gonna have to close those doors.”
The Department of Social Services also proposes to eliminate the Graduate Medical Education Program, reduce child care subsidies for low income families, caregiver support groups and senior companion programs.
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