Disabled Care In N.Y., Va., Ore. Examined Through Reports, Agreements And Budgets
Care for the disabled, as well as funding for programs that support them, is making news in New York, Virginia and Oregon.
The New York Times: State Faults Care For The Disabled
Nearly 300,000 disabled and mentally ill New Yorkers face a "needless risk of harm" because of conflicting regulations, a lack of oversight and even disagreements over what constitutes abuse, according to a draft state report obtained by The New York Times (Hakim, 3/22).
The Associated Press/Washington Post: U.S., Va. Both Claim Settlement Agreement Doesn't Mandate Disabled Training Center Shutdowns
But residents' families who are challenging the agreement argue closure is the end goal. The settlement requires that Virginia add more than 4,000 Medicaid-funded slots for people waiting to receive community-based services -- and it's unlikely that Virginia could afford to operate both systems (3/22).
The Lund Report (an Oregon news service): No Need for Provider Tax on Developmental Disability Programs
People who provide services to the developmentally disabled were willing to pay a provider tax out of their own pockets in order to receive federal matching dollars, but such a tax ended up being unnecessary. ... The Legislature's rebalanced budget, which filled a $300 million hole created by declining revenues, made no reductions in programs that serve people with developmental disabilities, including the program's reimbursement rates (Waldroupe, 3/21).