We must not ignore California’s medically fragile population

OPINION – Anyone who walks around the State Capitol this time of year knows that there is hardly a shortage of issues to tackle as policy makers and organizations alike advocate for much needed changes to benefit the lives of Californians. As the President & CEO of a nonprofit organization that has worked to advance healthcare at home since 1966, I understand the intricacies and delicate process of prioritizing statewide issues and balancing funding. This is why it is difficult for me to understand how some critical care services, like private duty nursing that actually saves the state money, have continued to fall through the cracks.

Despite the recent investments made in Medi-Cal services, there have been no additional investments made in private duty nursing for the last decade despite the increasing needs of California’s medically complex patient population. In fact, there are currently more than a thousand families in the state who are looking for comprehensive in-home care for their children’s complex medical needs. If we don’t act now, that number will only increase.

Private duty nursing provides medically fragile and complex patients, many of whom are children, with hourly nursing care provided in the comfort of a child’s home. This care service is reserved for children who are battling diagnoses such as cerebral palsy, seizure disorders, traumatic brain injuries, and other congenital disorders that often require tracheostomies and ventilators to help them breathe. Unfortunately, because the state has not invested in private duty nursing, many children and their families are left with few options. This means that it’s not uncommon for these children to have prolonged stays in the hospital, and in some cases, we have patients who have been forced to spend birthdays and holidays away from home and their loved ones.

The lack of investment in this critical Medi-Cal service also creates an unnecessary drain on the state budget. A recent study has found that by investing in private duty nursing, California would save more than $175 million dollars a year by reducing unnecessary hospital days and promoting consistent home care for these medically complex children. While Governor Newsom has previously declared his intentions to fund private duty nursing, the adoption of Proposition 35 terminated this funding pathway. To make matters worse, this has left thousands of California families without the care they need at home, meaning they will remain on a waitlist for care and are unnecessarily occupying a much-needed hospital bed.

Simply put, we need our elected officials to act. We can no longer ignore the needs of our state’s medically fragile patients – nor should we. Governor Newsom, you can help bring these children home and provide their families with much needed support and comfort by increasing Medi-Cal rates to fund private duty nursing services. I am confident that together, and with the support of our state’s lawmakers, we can bring these children home where they belong.

Dean Chalios is President & CEO of the California Association for Health Services at Home (CAHSAH). CAHSAH is a nonprofit association representing California’s licensed home health, home care, and hospice providers across the state.