Friday, October 15, 2010

TX: Budget Shortfall Forces Big Cuts for Disabled

Barbara Cullison waited eight years and eight months to get community-based care for her profoundly autistic daughter Audrey through a popular Medicaid waiver program designed to keep people with disabilities out of institutions. Now, Audrey and thousands of other Texans with disabilities fear losing their services because of budget cuts demanded of state agencies.

Advocates say the Department of Aging and Disability Services’ baseline budget request eliminates financing for more than 13,000 people — the majority of them waiting to receive so-called Medicaid waiver services in private homes, group homes or other community settings. Agency officials say an “unknown number” of people already receiving the services could lose them.

Lawmakers would have to approve another $317 million off of the agency's budget wish list — called "exceptional items" — to keep the services intact, a pipe dream when the state is facing an estimated $21 billion shortfall and has asked agencies to submit options for cutting their budgets another 10 percent.

“If this goes away, what are we going to do?” asked Cullison, whose daughter just came off of the waiting list for community services in September. “I need that safety net, need to know [that] when I can’t take care of her anymore, there’s a place for her that’s set, that’s paid for. After nine years, I thought I didn’t have to worry about this anymore.”

Agency officials acknowledge their hands are tied.

Full Article and Source:
Budget Shortfall Forces Big Cuts for Disabled

4 comments:

StandUp said...

BALONEY. Cut out the medicaid fraud cause by fiduciaries who bleed their wards' estates into indigence and the budget will be fine.

Anonymous said...

WHen there are cuts to be made, they always start and end with the elderly and disabled. Sad world we live in.

Thelma said...

You said it, Standup!

When there is no longer a drain based on Medicaid fraud, there will be state funds available.

Rick said...

Good point, StandUp and Thelma! And the first state that realizes this can lead the charge toward reform and forever go down in history as the state that paved the way!