To offset its deficit, Maryland proposes a 5.5 percent tax on medical adult daycare centers. The imposition of this tax threatens the very existence of about half the centers in Maryland. These centers provide a program of social activities, health management and assistance with daily activities that allow individuals to remain in their home but receive daily services in a professional setting. While we understand the fiscal challenges facing Maryland, this tax should not be part of the solution. With the projected growth in Maryland's senior population, Maryland should be promoting community based services, the preferred choice for many individuals, not taxing them.
We fear that this tax will have long-range, negative implications. In some instances, centers may be forced to close, denying community-based care to individuals, especially in certain geographical areas, causing them to seek services in more costly settings. In others, individuals paying for their own care will be forced to absorb this increase through higher rates. The state then runs the risk that these individuals will exhaust their funds at a faster rate and will need to rely on state assistance, which will have a negative impact on Maryland's budget.
Finally, this tax undermines the state's goal to increase access to community-based services. Given these potential negative outcomes, we hope that the General Assembly will recognize the consequences of this tax and vote "no."
Isabella Firth and Chris Morris, Columbia
The writers are, respectively, president of LifeSpan Network and president of the Maryland Association of Adult Day Services.