Beckett elgibility question

[Guest guest]

Ms Arden,

I called last week and left you a voice mail but haven't heard back

yet so thought I would follow-up with an email.

I understand you are the Director of the Disabled, Elderly Health

Programs Group (http://ds1.psc.dhhs.gov/hhsdir/eeKey.asp?Key=31216)

and that your responsibilities include overseeing the Beckett

deeming waiver and other waiver programs.

If you do not have oversight of the Beckett deeming waiver, can

you please tell me who does and/or forward this email to them.

My son Jimmy is a Georgia Medicaid recipient via the Beckett

deeming waiver. He is twelve years old and suffers from mid-brain

injury that has impaired his mobility, balance, and speech. He was

diagnosed with cerebral palsy just before his first birthday.

According to neurologists cerebral palsy is a permanent disability

from which it is impossible to recover and from which it is also

impossible to make substantial improvements in motor function.

Despite this, we are annually required by Georgia Medicaid to

re-document through a lengthy process the fact that he still has a

brain-injury and that his abilities are so limited that he is still

classified as disabled. This documentation mandated by the state

includes written statements from his physician(s), therapists, and

copies of his IEP (Individualized Education Plan) which is part of

IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act). We easily

compiled nearly 100 pages of documentation during his last

re-elgibility submission, which is typical not only for Jimmy but

thousands of other Georgia children with impaired neurological

functioning.

If the physicians credentialed with expertise have declared him

unable to improve, why then are we required to re-invent the wheel

every twelve months? This seems like a waste of valuable time and

resources for all concerned: the child, the parents, the therapists,

the teachers, the special education people, the doctor(s), and the

Medicaid reviewers.

Is this annual requirement to re-document disability a mandate from

you, your office, or CMS?

What annual requirements do other states have to maintain elgibilty?

What oversight do you have in those states?

If the Georgia requirements do originate with you, your office, or

CMS, could you please send me documentation of this requirement? You

can send me pdfs.

Thank you for your help and assistance.

--

Freels

2948 Windfield Circle

Tucker, GA 30084-6714

770-491-6776 (phone)

404-725-4520 (cell)

815-366-7962 (fax)

mailto:dfreels@...

http://www.freelanceforum.org/df