More Health Care discrimination suits on the horizon?

[patrice]

http://www.khi.org/news/2011/jul/14/justice-officials-meeting-disability-advocates/

Remember the Special Education discrimination suits that mainstreamed that population back in the '80s? Is this model or aspects of it generalizable?

Today, more than 5,000 people with developmental and physical disabilities are on waiting lists administered by the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services.

“In terms of there being an Olmstead violation, I don’t know that we’re there yet,” said Mike Oxford, executive director of the Topeka Independent Living and Resource Center. “But more and more, we seem to be moving in that direction.”

Oxford said he’s “real worried” by reports that a reform group chaired by Lt. Gov. Jeff Colyer is looking for ways to cut the state’s Medicaid spending by $200 million to $400 million.

“I don’t see how they can do that without some pretty significant cuts in home- and community-based services,” Oxford said. “At some point, that’s going to mean people with disabilities who need services if they’re going to be able to live in the community aren’t going to have access to those services. When that happens, they lose their ability to choose. Their only choice is a nursing home. That’s where you get into Olmstead. There has to be freedom of choice.”

Oxford said he’s also troubled by soon-to-be enacted pay changes for attendant care workers who help people enrolled in home- and community-based programs.

[AndyTiedye]

1. Forcing People into Nursing Homes Who Don't Need to Be There is REALLY DUMB

and REALLY EXPENSIVE TOO!

[patrice]

2. Especially since nursing homes already have enough issues of their own.