The California Association of Health Facilities (CAHF), a non-profit association dedicated to improving the quality of long-term health care in California, has issued recommendations for protecting the states more than 1,600 long-term care facilities from the current energy crisis. CAHF consulted a survey of member facilities regarding their experiences, concerns, problems and suggested solutions. CAHFs proposals include:
- Inclusion of nursing facilities, intermediate-care facilities for the developmentally disabled and other long-term health-care facilities in the PUC definition of “essential services.”
- Allowing a special exemption from rolling blackouts for all long-term health-care facilities, regardless of the number of beds.
- Exemption from the new rate structuring which is anticipated to reflect a significant rate increase, or, classify long-term care facilities as residential users as opposed to business users. Because long-term care facilities are a cost reimbursement system, the ultimate increase in energy costs will be paid by the Medi-Cal system.
- Supporting an adjustment to the 2001-02 Medi-Cal long-term care rate to reimburse facilities specifically for the increased costs of energy.
- Providing funding for low-interest loans for energy conservation and efficiency improvement measures.
- Obtaining a waiver from OSHPD for retrofit requirements which are not related to the installation of energy conservation and efficiency measures.
