Both my sister and my son are developmentally disabled. I spend a lot of my time advocating for them both. This involves many conversations with their care providers each week. I deal with dozens of people, from multiple agencies in both the adult and child disability spheres. Generally speaking, I think I’m pretty on top of things.
So when I happened across a notice on a parent-to-parent network message board talking about upcoming changes in disability services, I immediately went to check it out.
And I was shocked to find that major changes are being implemented in the system in a few months time. When did this happen and why am I just finding out about it?!
It’s no secret that what’s spurred these changes on is the potential to save the state money. Of course, they’re doing whatever they can to push that under the rug and instead throw pretty words like “choice”, “freedom” and ”independence” at you.
Medicaid, which pays for the services both my son and sister receive, will no longer simply pay for those services. These services include a residence with 24/7 care, day programming, medical and dental services (which are hard to find for the disabled), speech and occupational therapies (you recall that my son is completely non-verbal and will likely need to continue to perfect his communication skills for years to come), transportation, service coordination, behavioral interventions, psychiatric care, … and the list goes on.
As I understand it, the system will become a ‘managed care’ system (think HMO). So now Medicaid will ‘assess’ every disabled person and assign them a dollar amount. They pass that dollar amount to an approved agency who then has to figure out how to provide ALL the services with that amount of money.
To save more money, they’ll be pushing for the least amount of support possible. They’re calling this freedom, choice and independence. This will include moving more towards living at home or in less supportive residential situations. It means doing away with as many ‘institutional’ and structured day programs as possible and getting them ‘into the community’ as much as possible.
Obviously, with 2 family members directly affected by these changes, I had many questions. Fortunately I found out about the whole plan right before Commissioner Burke had a live chat on the subject. You can find the transcript here.
So let’s look at what I found to be some of the more telling questions and answers.
First, it seems I’m not the only one who feels blindsided by all this:
Submitted by Holly on Sat, 10/22/2011 – 8:42am
when and where will advance information be posted for families to have input to Medicaid 1115 waiver planning? I only learned of this web chat on 10/21, and some families may be unable to participate due to religious observances. Thank you.
Submitted by Courtney Burke on Sat, 10/22/2011 – 9:14am
Holly, it’s great to hear that you want to get involved. We are making the waiver process as public as possible. You can learn what has happened so far at http://www.opwdd.ny.gov/2011_waiver/index.jsp. Additionally, we have five public presentations occurring over the next few weeks, as well as many future events in the works. The information about those events can also be found on the waiver website. You can also sign up to receive alerts via email.
Of the 24 questions she answered, 3 were asking where, when and how to get information and give input on the system being developed. Clearly their efforts to ‘make the process public’ has failed. Once I found out I immediately contacted some of the service providers we work with. THEY don’t even know.
But more disconcerting was what those implementing this new structure don’t know yet.
Submitted by Carol on Sat, 10/22/2011 – 9:03am
Giving people with developmental disabilities more freedom, choice and independence sounds like a wonderful goal. However, those of us who have family members with these disabilities understand that the nature of their disability means that giving them this is often NOT what is in their best interest. By definition, they have a inability to think, reason and function as a typical adult. They are developmentally not able to make good choices about their own living arrangements, goals and expectations for life. I’m one of many people with a loved one who is higher functioning and as such, I’ve not gone through the extensive work and expense to become her legal guardian. What safeguards will be in place to be certain that she will not be talked into a ‘less restrictive’ environment she can not handle? For people without a legal guardian, who will be determining what freedoms and choices a particular individual can really handle? How will crisis situations be handled if/when developmentally disabled adults end up in situations with more freedom and independence than they can handle?
Submitted by Courtney Burke on Sat, 10/22/2011 – 9:28am
Great question. Because the waiver is still being designed, we are considering these very issues. A primary goal of the 1115 waiver is to evaluate each individual’s abilities to determine the most appropriate level of services. This should lead to individuals having better access to more integrated lives. We are aware that we need to make sure the waiver also provides appropriate safeguards for crisis situations. People who conduct assessments will be properly trained on new assessment tools that will better determine what supports individuals need.
Don’t worry, they’re ‘considering these very issues’! Um, yeah. Watch the videos they’re putting out to promote these changes. They’re ready to pull the trigger on the beginning stages of this in a few months time but they’ve not figured out the answer to this beyond ‘properly trained’ people and ‘new assessment tools’. That’s just scary to me.
Another thing they’re still working out is how to make the funding of this work.
How do we make sure that nedded resouces go dircetly to service provision and don’t just end up in the pockets of program administrators? Greater transparancy is needed.
Submitted by Courtney Burke on Sat, 10/22/2011 – 9:22am
I absolutely agree that greater transparency is needed. We have begun to make information publicly available on our website about nonprofit providers and their performance. We will be rolling out additional information about the quality of services for providers in the coming months, as well as information about use of resources. In addition, I am participating in the Governor’s task force on executive compensation for nonprofits, which is looking system wide at their use of Medicaid dollars.
I’m not only worried that the dollars going to the agency could end up eaten up by administration costs. I’m also worried about how these agencies will deal with being short the funds to provide all the services. They may be non-profit, but the ‘profit’ becomes whatever they can ‘save’ in money not spent. They will be highly motivated to provide the least amount of services. The state is banking on it.
Thank you for speaking with us this morning. I am the mother of a seventeen-year-old son with moderate/severe autism and I am employed full time by one of your provider agencies as well. I’ve been told by a Trustee of another provider agency that, despite the plethora of information you’ve disseminated to the contrary, when April 1st arrives, all stakeholders, not just those who choose to participate in a DISCO pilot, will provide and receive services under their regional DISCO. In other words, all agencies will lose their rates as of April 1st and be will be mandated to join a DISCO in order to continue providing services. Can you please state whether this is true, and if it is true what specific plans are in place to ensure continuity and availability of services. It’s hard for this mother to envision provider agencies losing their rates for a presumably much lower rate under the DISCO, without jeopardizing their fiscal sustainability and ability to serve their clientele and expand to meet the needs of the tsunami of children aging out of the educational system. Thanks again for your time.
Submitted by Courtney Burke on Sat, 10/22/2011 – 9:06am
First of all, we aren’t certain the waiver will definitely begin on April. Second, a demonstration period will happen first, so not everybody will be participating in demonstrations in the first year. Third, the purpose of the demonstrations is to see how well a new rate setting process works well and where it’s shortcoming are.
I’m disappointed that she didn’t really answer a question here. She’s not “certain the waiver will definitely begin on April.” So what? It’s probable? Not probable? When will you know and what determines if it will happen or not? Does anyone know?
Then the demonstration period will happen first. But not ‘everyone’ will be participating. Of course, that could mean most everyone would be participating or only a few would be. Which is it? And more importantly, what say will the disabled and their advocates have in participating or not? Cause that seems kinda key when you’re doing it to find the shortcomings. I don’t want to be the guinea pig.
So my next concern is the push towards employment. I’m not saying this is a bad thing. It may be a very good thing for some individuals. My problem is that they seem to really be missing some realism in their plan here.
Submitted by Marisa Oni on Sat, 10/22/2011 – 8:43am
How does OPWDD plan to promote employment for people with disabilities
Submitted by Courtney Burke on Sat, 10/22/2011 – 9:38am
Employment is a major priority of the agency. We are part of a national network that plans to double the number of individuals in our system who work – from about 9,000 to 18,000 people. This coming week OPWDD will hold its annual Works For Me awards celebration, honoring the great businesses who hire individuals with developmental disabilities and their employees. Information about the event can be found online at http://www.opwdd.ny.gov/news/new_opportunities.jsp We are looking to strengthen partnerships with private businesses and other state agencies to ensure individuals have the skills they need to successfully maintain employment.
With the current unemployment rates and tons of typical adults unable to find work, how on earth do they think the occasional pat on the back is going to encourage employers to hire disabled people who were previously unable to secure employment? And they’re going to “ensure individuals have the skills they need to successfully maintain employment.” Great. Um, how do you do that? Will there be a ceremony to hand them out their skills and send them on their way? Most of the disabled folks I know would love to be employed. They just don’t have the skills to be competitive in today’s job market and they likely never will. That’s a pretty common thing among the developmentally disabled.
Ironically, with all she doesn’t know, Commissioner Burke felt perfectly qualified to answer this question:
Submitted by Scott on Sat, 10/22/2011 – 8:48am
Why are autism rates increasing?
Submitted by Courtney Burke on Sat, 10/22/2011 – 9:17am
I believe it is not that the rate of autism is increasing, but diagnosis. Like many developmental disabilities, there has been a historical lack of understanding and knowledge. As society becomes more aware, more diagnosis are occurring which better sets us up to provide individuals and families with the supports and services they need.
Whoa! Did she just arrive at this party? Does she have no clue this is a much contested point of view?! The fact that she thinks she knows the answer to this doesn’t inspire much confidence in her ability to understand and serve this community.
I get that the state wants to save money. I get that they’re reacting to some bad press about some bad things that happened on their watch. What I don’t get is if they have any clue what these changes will mean for the developmentally disabled and their advocates. What will really happen, not just all the pretty words and idealized ‘outcomes’.
I have a sinking feeling Commissioner Burke doesn’t have a loved one she has to worry over being re-assessed. She doesn’t have a son who needs the more structured, institutional settings to be safe. She doesn’t get how incredibly difficult it is to advocate for the developmentally disabled even with support. Like so much about her plan, she just doesn’t know.
I hope she knows how to listen…
