West Virginia Public Radio broadcast a 3 part series on West Virginia Morning about changes in the medical assessment and reassessment for the Aged and Disabled Medicaid Waiver program (ADW). Kate Long interviewed waiver beneficiaries, waiver service providers, administrators, and advocates, including your truly. Her story focused on the tragic human impact of the recent changes that have made the program harder to get on and stay on. Kate's piece delved into the changes brought about by the new PAS 2005's stricter criteria as well as the state contracting with WVMI to complete PAS's. She also highlighted several elderly individuals who have suffered because of these changes.
In yesterday's Sunday Gazette-Mail there was an excellent article by Scott Finn in the same vein. Scott's piece focuses on the stories of a few waiver clients who are very sick, and yet are being taken off the program.
This waiver has been underfunded for at least the 10 years I've been working with these clients. It still is, and now that there is a large national movement to reduce the costs of Medicaid, I'm afraid the very needy people who benefit from this waiver are among the targeted.
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