Nebraska families say a newly implemented assessment tool is not accurately evaluating their relatives’ needs and reducing care.Developmental Disability Waiver recipients have to fill out the assessment.KETV spoke with one Lincoln parent about how this impacts her family.The state’s Department of Health and Human Services implemented inteRAI this past summer.People complete the assessment, then the state uses their responses to decide on funding and support.According to DHHS, 160 appeals on their results have been submitted since July, including the family we spoke with.22-year-old Jacob Martinez was diagnosed with severe autism when he was 2, according to his mom Cathy Martinez.“He does not recognize things like dangerous situations,” Cathy said. “He doesn’t recognize stop signs. He doesn’t stop for traffic. So, there’s a big safety concern if he is not staffed accordingly with a one-on-one accompaniment at all times.”He became eligible for the Developmental Disability Waiver when he was just 10 years old.DD Waivers are a Medicaid program meant to help people with this type of disability live independently.“Which was kind of rare for a minor. So, I think that speaks for his level of severity in need,” Cathy said.Under the new state-implemented assessment tool for DD waiver users, his needs changed in the eyes of the state.“In his first inteRAI that was just completed in December, is showing him at a lower level of need,” she said.The new tool is run by inteRAI, aiding the state by conducting these assessments.On DHHS’ website, it states the department switched assessment tools to save “state administrative funding resources and decreases repetitive participant assessment.”“I think most families are scrambling,” Cathy said.As president of the Autism Family Network, Martinez knows she’s not the only one.“I’ve heard of a few that have been raised, but the majority, from what I’m hearing, are people that have lowered their funding tier,” Cathy said.DHHS said “17 percent” of DD waiver users have had their funding tier lowered. Martinez received his results Wednesday morning.In the results, Jacob’s mom found “several errors in the answer and some of the answers. Just on his level of need and his level of ability.”She said it would impact Jacob’s day services, where an agency integrates him into everyday activities.“It does lower the amount that all of his providers are going to be paid because his annual budget is going to be lowered,” Cathy said.It also hits her family’s wallet.“My husband is a paid provider for my son, so it will reduce his pay,” she said.She said they’ll do everything to keep Jacob out of an institution, but other families may not be so lucky.“I hope that this gets addressed before something tragic happens to one of these individuals,” she said.DHHS said in a statement to KETV, “Before any adjustment is made, assessors consider the individual’s history and the physical, cognitive, and behavioral needs observed during the assessment to ensure services are appropriately matched to the person’s current situation.”With the goal of ensuring “supports remain individualized, appropriate, and responsive to the person’s needs.”Make sure you can always see the latest news, weather, sports and more from KETV NewsWatch 7 on Google search.NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |
Nebraska families say a newly implemented assessment tool is not accurately evaluating their relatives’ needs and reducing care.
Developmental Disability Waiver recipients have to fill out the assessment.
KETV spoke with one Lincoln parent about how this impacts her family.
The state’s Department of Health and Human Services implemented inteRAI this past summer.
People complete the assessment, then the state uses their responses to decide on funding and support.
According to DHHS, 160 appeals on their results have been submitted since July, including the family we spoke with.
22-year-old Jacob Martinez was diagnosed with severe autism when he was 2, according to his mom Cathy Martinez.
“He does not recognize things like dangerous situations,” Cathy said. “He doesn’t recognize stop signs. He doesn’t stop for traffic. So, there’s a big safety concern if he is not staffed accordingly with a one-on-one accompaniment at all times.”
He became eligible for the Developmental Disability Waiver when he was just 10 years old.
DD Waivers are a Medicaid program meant to help people with this type of disability live independently.
“Which was kind of rare for a minor. So, I think that speaks for his level of severity in need,” Cathy said.
Under the new state-implemented assessment tool for DD waiver users, his needs changed in the eyes of the state.
“In his first inteRAI that was just completed in December, is showing him at a lower level of need,” she said.
The new tool is run by inteRAI, aiding the state by conducting these assessments.
On DHHS’ website, it states the department switched assessment tools to save “state administrative funding resources and decreases repetitive participant assessment.”
“I think most families are scrambling,” Cathy said.
As president of the Autism Family Network, Martinez knows she’s not the only one.
“I’ve heard of a few that have been raised, but the majority, from what I’m hearing, are people that have lowered their funding tier,” Cathy said.
DHHS said “17 percent” of DD waiver users have had their funding tier lowered.
Martinez received his results Wednesday morning.
In the results, Jacob’s mom found “several errors in the answer and some of the answers. Just on his level of need and his level of ability.”
She said it would impact Jacob’s day services, where an agency integrates him into everyday activities.
“It does lower the amount that all of his providers are going to be paid because his annual budget is going to be lowered,” Cathy said.
It also hits her family’s wallet.
“My husband is a paid provider for my son, so it will reduce his pay,” she said.
She said they’ll do everything to keep Jacob out of an institution, but other families may not be so lucky.
“I hope that this gets addressed before something tragic happens to one of these individuals,” she said.
DHHS said in a statement to KETV, “Before any adjustment is made, assessors consider the individual’s history and the physical, cognitive, and behavioral needs observed during the assessment to ensure services are appropriately matched to the person’s current situation.”
With the goal of ensuring “supports remain individualized, appropriate, and responsive to the person’s needs.”
Make sure you can always see the latest news, weather, sports and more from KETV NewsWatch 7 on Google search.
NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |
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