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| Photo: Eric Smith/The Capital Journal |
The conversation of moving the state's long-term care services for the developmentally disabled to a managed care system contracted out by insurance companies was rekindled Thursday night during a town hall meeting.
The meeting was hosted by TARC, a provider of services for people affected by intellectual, developmental and related disabilities. More than 50 people, some of whom were guardians, family members and service providers of the disabled, heard both sides of the issue at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library.
The sentiment from most at the meeting was that Gov. Sam Brownback and his staff are moving "way too quickly" on the plan that calls for putting those with developmental and intellectual disabilities on a managed care organization by Jan. 1, 2013.
Shawn Sullivan, Kansas secretary on aging, presented the state's side, giving a brief overview of the governor's plan, which is called KanCare.
Tom Laing, executive director of InterHab, is opposed to Brownback's proposal, and he presented his case for the current long-term services in place.
In Brownback's proposal, the reform calls for coverage to all Medicaid-eligible children and pregnant women, low-income adults, people with disabilities, and others.
Sullivan said the managed care organizations must assure all medically necessary services currently available through the Medicaid state plan and home- and community-based services waiver will be included in their benefit plans. Additionally, the proposal calls for the managed care organizations to provide medical necessity standards for services and adopt guidelines to ensure services are available statewide in an amount, duration and scope no less than required through traditional Medicaid.
Laing said the move would be the "single biggest transaction in the state's history."
Brownback's proposal mandates that managed cared organizations must demonstrate...Read More
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