Staying focused on meeting the needs of the developmentally disabled

Staying focused on meeting the needs of the developmentally disabled

As a member of the Governor's Healthcare Task Force, one of the issues that we have studied over the past two years is how to help people with developmental disabilities access services to help them live at home.

These are very vulnerable individuals and the goal is to help them receive home-based care so they can stay out of a nursing home.

The Arkansas House of Representatives passed a bill Thursday that would redirect unused tobacco settlement funds to provide these services to individuals with developmental disabilities who are on the waiting list.

This bill will amend the Tobacco Settlement Proceeds Act, an initiated act passed by voters in 2000 that provided insurance coverage through the AR Health Networks program to the uninsured.

$8.5 million of the tobacco settlement money each year is not being spent on those individuals because they now receive coverage under the Affordable Care Act Medicaid Expansion know in Arkansas as Arkansas Works. This program purchases private health insurance for lower-income Arkansans.

About 3,000 individuals with developmental disabilities are on a waiting list to receive homebased services.

Under the bill, that money would be redirected to reduce the list The annual funds have been accruing and, if used to address the waiting list, would be matched by about $20 million in federal funds annually through the states Medicaid Federal Match. The combined funds could reduce the waiting list by about 500-900 individuals depending on their assessed level of need.

Remember you can watch all House committee meetings held in the Capitol and all House floor proceedings at www.arkansashouse.org.

From State Representative Deborah Ferguson