Your Monday Morning Update from Johnson County CDDO

January 27, 2014

Your Monday Morning Update: 

I’m on pins and needles in nervous anticipation about what the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will say about I/DD and KanCare.

For the 450 of you that listened in on the KanCare stakeholder call last Wednesday, you heard an overview of from Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) staff as to the status of KanCare and their readiness to include I/DD long term services. Then the phone lines were opened up for questions. With only one person speaking at a time, others were put into a queue to wait for their turn to chime in.  Only 20 folks were able to ask questions or make a comment. I heard from many of you that you were in the queue and didn’t get your opportunity to speak.  I took notes on those comments and I don’t believe I heard one person said “the system is ready….let’s go for it.”

Barbara Edwards from CMS spoke up and said “We do believe we have made significant progress with the state around the amendment they’ve proposed to include long-term services and supports within the managed care framework that Kansas has implemented for individuals who have intellectual and developmental disabilities.”  I must say that comment burst my bubble (using some of those pins and needles). Ms. Edwards said that she wasn’t sure when the decision would be handed down, but felt that it would be soon.

Rather than sitting on pins and needles, they should be used to help mend this imperfect design. If the I/DD waiver is to be included in KanCare; we need a well thought out pattern, a precise cut and strongly reinforced seams.  (I don’t need to tell you what happens when you’ve got a loose thread in your slacks…and then you bend over.) From our experience so far, we’re not there yet. We hope CMS uses wisdom in their decision. 

Warm regards,