Nearly 8,000 seniors and Missourians with disabilities could lose at-home care over the next year after a new eligibility algorithm went into effect this week, a spokesperson for the state health department told The Independent.
Starting Oct. 1, Missouri’s Department of Health and Senior Services implemented a change in the scoring algorithm they use to determine eligibility during annual reviews and enrollment for those receiving help with everyday tasks like going to the bathroom, getting dressed and taking their prescriptions. The assistance is part of a Medicaid-funded program, called home and community based services, designed to provide an alternative to those who would otherwise need to receive institutional care.
kAm%92E 492?86[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 56A2CE>6?E[ 😀 56D:8?65 E@ 96=A 6?DFC6 E9@D6 H9@ ECF=J ?665 E96 D6CG:46D C646:G6 E96>[ 2?5 E9@D6 H9@ 5@?’E — 7@C :?DE2?46[ 3642FD6 E96:C 4@?5:E:@?D 92G6 :>AC@G65 @C E96J’C6 ?@E D6G6C6 6?@F89 E@ BF2=:7J — 2C6 C6>@G65]k^Am
kAm“(6 H2?E E@ 6?DFC6 E9@D6 H:E9 9:896C 24F:EJ ?665D 2C6 C646:G:?8 E96 42C6 E96J ?665[” sw$$ DA@<6DA6CD@? {:D2 r@I D2:5] “%92E 😀 H92E E9:D EC2?D7@C>2E:@? 😀 23@FE — E@ 6?DFC6 H6 2C6 AC@G:5:?8 E96 C:89E D6CG:46D[ 😕 E96 C:89E D6EE:?8[ 2E E96 C:89E E:>6 E@ E9@D6 H9@ H@F=5 8@ :?E@ 2 724:=:EJ A=246>6?E :7 ?@E 7@C W9@>6 2?5 4@>>F?:EJ 32D65 D6CG:46DX]”k^Am
kAmqFE 25G@42E6D 2C6 C2:D:?8 2=2C> E92E 46CE2:? A6@A=6 H9@ DE:== ?665 D6CG:46D H:== =@D6 E96>[ 42FD:?8 E96:C 962=E9 E@ 564=:?6 @C 7@C4:?8 E96> :?E@ :?DE:EFE:@?2= D6EE:?8D =:<6 ?FCD:?8 9@>6D]k^Am
kAmy6??:76C vF?5J[ H9@ CF?D 2 46?E6C 7@C :?56A6?56?E =:G:?8 😕 D@FE9H6DE |:DD@FC:[ H9:49 AC@G:56D :?\9@>6 42C6 DFAA@CE 7@C bf_ A6@A=6[ 6DE:>2E6D `gT @7 96C 4=:6?ED H:== 72== @77 E96 C@==D]k^Am
kAmp?5 >@DE @7 E96> H:== DE:== 36 😕 ?665 @7 D6CG:46D[ D96 D2:5[ :?4=F5:?8 42D6D @7 E9@D6 H:E9 D6G6C6 5:236E6D[ >@3:=:EJ :DDF6D[ 4@>A=:42E65 >65:42E:@? C68:>6D 2?5 @E96C :DDF6D E92E 2C6 62D65 3J 4FCC6?E 2DD:DE2?46 3FE H:== H@CD6? H:E9@FE :E]k^Am
kAm“$@ E92E’D @FC 4@?46C?[” D96 D2:5] “p?5 H6’G6 366? G@:4:?8 E92E 4@?46C? H:E9 E96 DE2E6 7@C AC@323=J E96 =2DE EH@ J62CD]”k^Am
kAmy@6= u6C36C[ 5:C64E@C @7 25G@424J 2E {682= $6CG:46D @7 t2DE6C? |:DD@FC:[ D2:5 E96C6 2C6 “ECF=J ?665J 7@=<D H9@ 2C6 8@:?8 E@ =@D6 D6CG:46D]”k^Am
kAm:DD@FC: 92D 366? H@C<:?8 H:E9 ?2E:@?2= 25G@424J 8C@FAD E@ 2?2=JK6 E96 ?6H 2=8@C:E9> 2?5 :ED 67764ED[ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^5@4D]8@@8=6]4@>^5@4F>6?E^5^`(watCKc!axK5p~+!q=::$E3_9z@G6>36C a_a`]k^Am
kAm%96C6 H6C6 2C@F?5 eg[___ A6@A=6 >@?E9=J @? E96 AC@8C2> =2DE 7:D42= J62C[ r@I D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96 ?6H 2=8@C:E9> 92D 366? J62CD 😕 E96 >2<:?8]k^Am
kAm%96 =68:D=2EFC6 😕 a_`f 8C6H 4@?46C?65 H:E9 E96 9@>6 2?5 4@>>F?:EJ 32D65 D6CG:46D AC@8C2> “;FDE 3=@DD@>:?8” 😕 A2CE:4:A2E:@? 2?5 4@DE[ D2:5 y6DD:42 $492676C[ AC@8C2> 5:C64E@C 7@C 9@>6 2?5 4@>>F?:EJ 32D65 D6CG:46D[ 😕 2 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^DE2E6@7>@]H636I]4@>^C64@C5:?8D6CG:46^D:E6D^DE2E6@7>@^C64@C5:?8^g5d3d65`dhgc`_b5375e5e4c3ef6fbc7^A=2J324<QmC646?E EC2:?:?8]k^2mk^Am
kAm%@ 4FE E96 3F586E[ E96 =68:D=2EFC6 😕 a_`f C2:D65 E96 E9C6D9@=5 7@C 6=:8:3:=:EJ] xE 2=D@ 42AA65 4@DED 7@C D6CG:46D 2E 2 =@H6C =6G6=]k^Am
kAm%96 AC@8C2> 😀 ;@:?E=J 7F?565 3J E96 DE2E6 2?5 7656C2= 8@G6C?>6?E[ 2?5 DE2E6D G2CJ H:56=J 😕 9@H E96J CF? E96 AC@8C2>D]k^Am
kAm%96 56A2CE>6?E 7@F?5 E9@D6 492?86D H6C6?’E 6?E:C6=J 67764E:G6[ $49276C D2:5[ E92E D@>6 A6@A=6 H9@ ?66565 D6CG:46D >@DE 5:5?’E BF2=:7J 2?J>@C6[ D@ E96J =2F?4965 2 “EC2?D7@C>2E:@?” @7 E96 6=:8:3:=:EJ 4C:E6C:2] xE H2D 56D:8?65 E@ 36 >@C6 244FC2E6 2E 5:C64E:?8 =:>:E65 D6CG:46D E@ E96 4@CC64E A6@A=6]k^Am
kAm%96 “EC2?D7@C>2E:@? 😀 23@FE 6?DFC:?8 E9@D6 >@DE 😕 ?665 @7 42C6 C646:G6 E96 D6CG:46D ?66565 E@ C6>2:? :?56A6?56?E 😕 E96:C 4@>>F?:EJ[” r@I D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96C6 92G6 366? D6G6C2= 56=2JD 😕 :>A=6>6?E:?8 E96 ?6H 2=8@C:E9>[ >@DE C646?E=J 3642FD6 @7 7656C2= CF=6D E:65 E@ 2446AE:?8 p>6C:42? #6D4F6 !=2? p4E 7F?5D]k^Am
kAm%96 DE2E6 92D 86?6C2==J 492C24E6C:K65 E9@D6 H9@ H:== =@D6 4@G6C286 2D A6@A=6 H9@ 5@?’E 92G6 ?665D D:8?:7:42?E 6?@F89 E@ BF2=:7J 😕 E96 7:CDE A=246]k^Am
kAmx? 2 D=:56D9@H 7@C AC@G:56CD 5FC:?8 2 C646?E EC2:?:?8[ E96 DE2E6 C64@>>6?565 H96? 56=:G6C:?8 E96 ?6HD @7 :?6=:8:3:=:EJ E@ :?5:G:5F2=D[ E92E E96J “6IF56 4@?7:56?46” 2?5 “AFE 2 A@D:E:G6 DA:? @? :?6=:8:3:=:EJ[” 2=@?8 H:E9 4@??64E:?8 E96> E@ @E96C C6D@FC46D 2?5 6IAC6DD:?8 DJ>A2E9J]k^Am
kAmq642FD6 E96 56A2CE>6?E 92D 366? AC@G:5:?8 EH@ D4@C6D[ 25G@42E6D 42? D66 H92E 4=:6?ED H:== ?@E BF2=:7J F?56C E96 ?6H 2=8@C:E9> 2?5 92G6 366? 23=6 E@ EC24< :E]k^Am
kAmp5G@42E6D D2:5 E96J 92G6 C6A62E65=J 3C@F89E FA 4@?46C?D H:E9 E96 DE2E6 32D65 @? 4=:6?ED E96J D66 2C6 56DA6C2E6=J 😕 ?665 @7 D6CG:46D H9@ H:== ?@ =@?86C BF2=:7J]k^Am
kAm“%96 @?=J E9:?8 E92E H6 42? 5@ 😀 ;FDE 8@ 29625 2?5 2==@H E96> E@ 5@ E9:D[ 2?5 E96? :7 E96C6’D 6?@F89 A6@A=6 E92E 72== @77 E96 D6CG:46D 2?5 6?5 FA 8@:?8 E@ E96 ?FCD:?8 9@>6[ 8@:?8 😕 E96 9@DA:E2=[ 92G:?8 =@ED @7 AC@3=6>D 3642FD6 E96J’C6 ?@E 86EE:?8 E96 D6CG:46D[ E96? H6 42? =@@< 2E 5@:?8 2 4=2DD 24E:@? =2HDF:E[” D2:5 vF?5J[ E96 D@FE9H6DE |:DD@FC: 25G@42E6]k^Am
kAm“(9:49 😀 C62==J D25[ 3642FD6 E9@D6 A6@A=6 92G6 E@ 86E 9FCE @C 92G6 C62==J 325 962=E9 AC@3=6>D 7@C D@>6E9:?8 E@ 86E 5@?6[” D96 25565]k^Am
kAm$E2E6D 24C@DD E96 4@F?ECJ 92G6 >256 D:>:=2C 4FED E@ E96 AC@8C2>[ 32D65 @? 2FE@>2E65 564:D:@?D[ :?4=F5:?8 😕 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]E968F2C5:2?]4@>^FD\?6HD^a_a`^;F=^_a^2=8@C:E9>\4CF4:2=\962=E942C6\564:D:@?DQmpC<2?D2Dk^2m[ H96C6 E96 2=8@C:E9> H2D DF446DD7F==J k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]3E29]@C8^42D6\DEF5J^2C<2?D2D\>65:42:5\9@>6\2?5\4@>>F?:EJ\32D65\D6CG:46D\9@FCD\4FED]9E>=Qm492==6?865k^2m 😕 4@FCE]k^Am
kAm{682= $6CG:46D @7 t2DE6C? |:DD@FC: 2?5 2 8C@FA @7 ?2E:@?2= 25G@42E6D AF3=:D965 2 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^5@4D]8@@8=6]4@>^5@4F>6?E^5^`(watCKc!axK5p~+!q=::$E3_9z|h5IetyC|*E#@d@^65:EQmE@@=<:E 7@C AC@G:56CD 2?5 A2CE:4:A2?ED E@ F?56CDE2?5 E96 492?86Dk^2m 2?5 EC24< E9@D6 H9@ =@D6 D6CG:46D]k^Am
kAmt>:=J !2F=[ AC@;64E 5:C64E@C 2E &AEFC?[ 2 ?2E:@?2= @C82?:K2E:@? E92E 25G@42E6D 7@C 6BF:EJ 2?5 ;FDE:46 😕 E649?@=@8J[ 92D 366? :?G@=G65 😕 E92E 2?2=JD:D]k^Am
kAm“(92E H6 F?56CDE2?5 😕 86?6C2= 😀 E92E 2FE@>2E:@? 😀 2 E@@= E92E DE2E6D 2C6 FD:?8 E@ 562= H:E9 :?256BF2E6 7F?5:?8 7@C E96D6 AC@8C2>D[ 2?5 E@ 4C62E6 2 C2E:@?2=6 7@C H9@ 5@6D?’E 86E D6CG:46D[” !2F= D2:5]k^Am
kAm“&?56C7F?5:?8 C62==J 5C:G6D E96 ?665 E@ 92G6 E9:D H9@=6 C2E:@?2=6 7@C ECJ:?8 E@ 5:DEC:3FE6 E96 C6D@FC46D 2?5 ECJ:?8 E@ >2<6 4=2:>D E@ 72:C?6DD 2?5 @3;64E:G:EJ H:E9:? 2 DJDE6> E92E 😀 ?@E C62==J D6E FA E@ 24EF2==J >66E A6@A=6’D ?665D[” D96 D2:5] “p?5 D@ E92E’D E96 7F?52>6?E2= :DDF6] $E2E6D 42? DE:== ECJ E@ >2<6 36EE6C @C H@CD6 49@:46D 23@FE 9@H E96J 2==@42E6 E96 C6D@FC46D]”k^Am
kAmk6>m%9:D H2D 7:CDE AF3=:D965 3J E96 |:DD@FC: x?56A6?56?E[ 2 ?@?AC@7:E[ ?@?A2CE:D2? ?6HD @C82?:K2E:@? 4@G6C:?8 DE2E6 8@G6C?>6?E[ A@=:E:4D 2?5 A@=:4J[ 2?5 😀 C6AC:?E65 H:E9 A6C>:DD:@?]k^6>mk^Am
link

