Erie County Rural vs Urban Designation Forum
Senator-elect Sean Wiley requested today's forum, focusing on the Department of Public Welfare's reimbursement rate formula.
Starting in July,
The Department of Public Welfare's division of the Commonwealth switched from four areas to three areas.
The change affects provider rates for county programs for people with disabilities.
In the beginning of October, Governor Corbett said his office would re-analyze the data, but Wiley says it's taking too long.
"That's the frustration, and I'm really pleased he is taking the time to look at this, but changes need to be made now," Wiley said. "This is something that can not wait. We have some of our most vulnerable neighbors, family, friends who are being impacted by this and we have to make the changes now."
The impact would be at least a reimbursement rate reduction up to 17%.
"That's not acceptable," Wiley said. "We have to make sure, it's governments role to make sure we fund these programs properly and make sure our most vulnerable constituents are taken care of."
The rural designation means local providers and recipients of disability services, like the Barber National Institute, would be affected.
"It's going to affect us in the tune of over seven figures a year and, in the end, what that's going to do is it's going to reduce wages and suppress services to our people," said John Barber, CEO of the Barber National Institute.
Barber says a rural designation for
"We are a Great Lake city, we import, we export we have manufacturing, we have the largest locomotive plant in the world, we have the largest medical school in the United States, we have four universities, we have four TV stations, we have a daily newspaper, we are a vital urban center," Barber said.
Senators, State Representatives, city council and county council members along with officials from agencies that would be affected were at the forum.
