Medicaid, Significant Changes Expected
Arthur W. Hogling, Ph.D.
Executive Director
It is a rare federal or state program that was designed specifically for persons with developmental disabilities. Consequently, DDRC and other Community Centered Boards constantly seek to adapt generic human service programs to meet the needs of the people we serve. The key individuals helping in this regard are our terrific resource coordinators, experts at sorting through conflicting and varying laws, rules and regulations to find legitimate avenues for securing services for our families.
A major example of this is the federal Medicaid program. First created as part of President Johnson’s War on Poverty, its original intent was to provide medical services for illnesses which prevented poor individuals from returning to work. Over the years, what started as a modest program underwent numerous modifications until today it is the largest health care program in our country and has been adapted for such non-directly medically related purposes such as group homes, supported living services, transportation and vocational training.
While this has been a blessing to many individuals, it is part of what is sometimes viewed as a rapidly growing and perhaps unsustainable cost to federal and state budgets. This has led to increasing reviews, modifications and reforms that have placed the Medicaid system in a state of upheaval.Recently, mental health services, residential treatment centers and programs for addiction abuse have experienced major Medicaid changes.
Today, developmental disabilities services are undergoing similar review. Programs that Community Centered Boards have run for years, with high levels of state and federal approval, are now undergoing dramatic revision on short time lines. DDRC is not immune and we can expect significant changes in how we do business. Unfortunately, the final outcome is far from clear. As of this writing, it appears certain parts of our program will gain and others will suffer. The issue is complicated and uncertain.
What is clear is that DDRC and our resource coordinators will work with families to do all that we can to adapt to the new approaches and to minimize disruption for those involved.Our goal will be to have families experience as little negative consequences as we are able.We will not, however, be able to prevent all disruption from effecting established operations. We will do what we can to provide details as things change in this rapidly evolving matter.
As we receive new information, or see other useful links, we will post them on this site.
Thank you!
June 27, 2006
