Beckett Hearing Yesterday

[Guest guest]

Untermann (Gwinnett), chairperson of the Senate Health and Human

Services committee presided over a hearing yesterday at the capitol about issues

with the Beckett Deeming waiver for children with special needs.

I attended the meeting along with about a hundred other parents and

advocates.

Mark Trail of DCH appeared before the committee to report on the changes to

the program and to answer questions. The committee members asked him some

pretty tough questions including: Why was the state incorrectly approving

children

for past benefits? Didn't they forsee the difficulties families would face

when they used new eligibility criteria? And why didn't DCH approach the

legislators about alternate programs for children with special needs if they

would no

longer be eligible for the Beckett program. (Mark Trail said there are

other federal Medicaid programs that Georgia could opt to pay for).

Martha Okafore of DFACS also spoke about the role of DFACS in the

Beckett application process. The big question the committee had for her was: Why

was DFACS seemingly unaware of the problems recent denials were causing families

and why does the application/renewal process take so long?

Testimonies were then given by individual family members on the waiver

application process and the program. Heidi spoke first and gave an

overview of

the information she has collected from families across the state. She was

followed by parent after parent telling of their difficult and frustrating

experience of applying/re-applying and appealing denials.

I think there will be some positive effects for families as a result of

yesterday's hearing. The members of the committee had definitely heard from

parents

in their districts and showed they had an understanding of the problems.

Below is the article from the AJC on the Georgia Senate Public Hearing on the

Beckett Medicaid program.

__________________________________

State blindsided on cuts for special-needs kids

By PATRICIA GUTHRIE

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 01/20/06

Lawmakers heard Thursday that state officials were unprepared for

the fallout when families with special-needs children were suddenly

dropped from the Beckett Medicaid program.

They also learned that it's the state's fault that hundreds, perhaps

thousands of families, will no longer receive the government

assistance they had come to rely on for therapy and medical expenses.

Mark Trail of the Community Health Department told a Senate Health

and Human Services committee hearing that the impact of an

eligibility change on special needs kids was not foreseen.

" The state was incorrectly applying an adult standard to children

[in approving them for past benefits], " Mark Trail, chief of

Medicaid plans, told the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.

Trail explained that the department tightened eligibility

requirements in November 2004 to come in line with federal standards.

" We did not foresee the volume of folks who may not qualify, " he

said.

Members of the Senate Health and Human Services committee vowed to

meet further with Department of Community Health to find solutions.

The Beckett program acts as supplemental insurance for

children with multiple disabilities and medical needs so parents can

care for them at home. About 4,200 children receive the benefit. The

program's budget is $38 million.

Since June, 2,761 applicants have sought re-enrollment and 37

percent have been approved, Trail said. Of those who were dropped

and appealed the decision, 10 percent were approved. Additionally,

one-third of first-time applicants were approved, Trail said.

The public hearing attracted about 130 parents and advocates. About

two dozen criticized the program's application process and

complained that the state has no contingency plan for families no

longer eligible.

" Beckett means a hand up for these children, " said

McMann, who said her child was recently reinstated after advocates

helped her cause. Parent Mark Howell told lawmakers " it's not fair

to punish children for the mistake of the state. "

The eligibility change centers around the Beckett requirement

of " institutional level of care, " meaning the child's disorders or

illnesses required constant monitoring or frequent hospitalization.

Sen. Greg Goggans (R-) said lawmakers and program officials

needed to " work on this quickly. "