Ronald Reagan’s IHSS Needs Reform, not Elimination
The state budget mess, caused by years of over-spending by the Legislature, has reached a crisis
point. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. It means that we finally have the opportunity to cut
spending and institute real reforms.
The only way California can climb out of this hole and get our economy back on track is through
a combination of policies that promote private-sector job growth, reform public employee
pensions and reduce spending on almost every segment of government. But cutting programs
that actually save the state money is penny-wise and pound-foolish.
One program on the chopping block is California’s In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS)
program. Started by then-Governor Ronald Reagan, IHSS provides various services to elderly,
blind, and disabled persons who are unable to live unassisted in their own homes. I support this
program because I believe in the principle that when using taxpayer dollars, services must be
provided in the most cost-efficient way. The cost of caring for a patient in their home is about
$10,000 per year. The same care in a hospital or nursing facility averages over $50,000 per year.
Simply put, it’s much less expensive to keep patients at home than to place them in institutions.