Re: [GA-ParentNetwork] Comp Waiver

[Guest guest]

Hi all -

I have been mad about this for awhile but I have just been trying to avoid the mad feelings it brings out in me. I guess it's time to get it off my chest.

I have attached a Feb 1, 2010 from Darlene Meador of the Office of DD regarding Now and Comp Amendments to the Waiver effective 4/1/10. It states that an amendment has been made to the waiver adjusting the rate for CLS (Community Living Support) to 4.93/15 minutes or 19.72 an hour. It further states that (in order to be cost neutral) there is a corresponding decrease in the number of allowed units. So, for NOW waiver the new annual units limit is 4650 and the new COMP units limit is 9002.

It goes on to say that the max number of units billable per day in the COMP waiver is 28 units or 7 and that you must bill the daily rate for anything over 7 hours in one day. This is only for the COMP waiver. In the NOW waiver, you can use more than 7 hours in a day as long as you don't go over the daily max amount of 138.09.

The memo also gives info about a new rate for Respite in the NOW and a corresponding reduction in units that are now available.

So, why does this make me so mad?

My daughter has self-directed COMP services. She requires care all of her waking hours. We use a combination of CLS hourly and daily, and Community Access Group and Individual. On the weekends, I have 1 person who is paid the daily rate for CLS. She is here for over 8 hours. (Now I guess she can leave an hour early and get paid the same amount!) During the week I have 2 different caregivers (one in the am and one in the pm). With Acumen, you CANNOT split the daily rate between 2 different employees - so I HAVE to use the CLS hourly rate. Their combined hours were just reduced from 8 to 7.

I have complained from the very beginning about the daily limit of 8 hours for CLS-hourly because it does not work for Anne. I told Darlene Meador that I did not have an issue with the rate (WAS $15.20 an hour, now $19.72 an hour!) and did not need to pay caregivers more money but that I needed more flexibility with the hours. Did she not understand, no hear me or not care? Instead of allowing more than 8 hours, she reduced them to 7. Thanks alot!

With these rates, you used to be able to pay as high as $13.09 an hour to the employee (15.20 - employer costs) and can now pay as high as $16.98 an hour ($19.72 - employer costs). Does anyone pay that amount to caregivers and, if I did, would she get better care? Do you think that the providers that lobbied for the rate increase are paying that to their employees?????

So who does this help? Not me, my daughter, or her caregivers who just got a reduction in hours. (I do pay them quite well, by the way). Does this save money? No.

Why doesn't the DD office listen to families? (And yes, I did put my comments in writing.) Who has their ear? Why does this all have to be so difficult???????