THIS ISSUE 60cP
SERVING DETROIT'S JEWISH COMMUNITY
AUGUST 18, 1989 / 17 AV 5749
Home For Aged
Sees Funding Boost
KIMBERLY LIFTON
Skiff Writer
Jewish Home For Aged officials
are cautiously optimistic about the
Home's future as they await an an-
ticipated financial reprieve from the
state.
Home For Aged Executive Vice
President Alan Funk said he expects
a 4 percent boost in state funding for
the Home's next fiscal year which
began June 1, 1989, pending Gov.
James Blanchard's approval of the
1989-90 state budget, already passed
by the legislature.
Nursing homes are the only
Medicaid providers in the state expec-
ting a 4 percent hike. But one-half of
that amount must be used directly for
wages for patient care employees,
leaving a 2 percent inflation hike for
other patient care costs, Funk said.
"We are happy but not ecstatic,"
Funk said. "Two percent is an im-
provement, but compared to what?"
The proposed Medicaid increase
means an additional $80,000 toward
the Home's $10.1 million budget for
1989-90. Late last spring, the Home
got a temporary financial boost of
about $500,000 after the state re-
evaluated costs of Michigan nursing
homes and adjusted Medicaid rates.
That money — which came in the
form of increased Medicaid and
Medicare payments for the current
fiscal year — gave the Home more
time to weigh options for reducing its
operating deficit, now at $1.5 million,
Funk said.
It raised Medicaid reim-
bursements for each patient from an
average of $46 a day to the current
$51 to $52. Patient care costs are
estimated at $83 a day.
Daily care costs are expected to
rise to $90 a day in 1989-90. Under
the proposed state budget, Medicaid
reimbursements will average $53 per
patient, Funk said.
At $80 a day for each Medicare pa-
tient, reimbursements cover most of
the Home's cost.
"We are doing better; we are mak-
ing slow progress," Funk said. "But
we are not keeping pace with a lot of
stuff. It is still an increase, but it is
not enough."
Funk said the JHA deficit is
beginning to decrease. Next year's
budget projects a $1.4 million deficit,
which he said should continue to fall.
Deficits at the Home have been
covered by Allied Jewish Campaign
allocations, United Jewish Charities
grants and JHA endowment funds.
Funk said changes in Medicare
rules also have contributed to the
Home's better financial outlook. Since
January, the percentage of Medicare
patients has jumped from 5 to 15 per-
cent. At that time, the Medicare
Continued on Page 14
San Diego Paper
Firebombed 'IVvice
New York (JTA) — A San Diego
Jewish newspaper is struggling to
carry on business as usual in the face
of two recent firebomb attacks, both of
which occurred on Jewish holidays.
The latest attack took place last
Thursday, Tisha B'Av, at the offices of
the San Diego Jewish Times in the
suburb of El Cajon.
Damage to the building was
minimal. Both bombs were deflected by
the bars on the windows of the offices
and exploded outside, mainly scorching
the exterior.
The bombing appears to have been
a repeat attack. The Times was last
firebombed April 22, the third day of
Passover. Both attacks occurred in the
early morning hours.
Before the first bombing, the
newspaper received threatening phone
calls saying "the bars (on the windows)
won't stop the bombs" and that
"Jewish newspapers don't belong in El
Cajon."
Times editor Carol Rosenberg said
the newspaper received two hate calls
after last week's bombing.
Police believe the two incidents,
both of which occurred in the early
morning hours, are linked.
There are several neo-Nazi and
Skinhead groups in the San Diego
area, most notably 'Ibm Metzger's
White Aryan Nations group.
In an interview with a San Diego
newspaper, Metzger denied having any
connection with the attack on the
Times, saying that the newspaper was
"small potatoes."
A poster announcing a gay march
on Washington hangs in Marc Kaplan's
office at the University of Michigan. His
bookshelves are lined with works about
gay life.
Kaplan, 43, a residence hall director,
wants the world to face the fact that he
is homosexual.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 24