DHS Promotes Availability of Services for People with Disabilities
LITTLE ROCK – The state has begun a new campaign to make people aware of the variety of Medicaid services for which they may be eligible, especially if someone in their family has a disability.
The intent is to help people with disabilities live more independently by getting services in their own home or in their local community, rather than in an institutional setting such as a long-term care facility or a hospital.
Medicaid is a public health insurance program administered by the state Department of Human Services. It’s funded by the state and federal governments. On any given day, almost a third of the people in Arkansas qualify for some type of services.
Medicaid covers payments for half of the births in Arkansas and 75 percent of nursing home services. It pays for 80 percent of behavioral health services provided in Arkansas and for 83 percent of services for people with development and intellectual disabilities.
A central feature of the promotional campaign is a new website at this Internet address: ar.gov/HCBS.
The site has information about specific programs and about who is eligible for them. It has instructions on how to fill out applications.
The legislature increased funding to shorten the waiting list for Medicaid waivers that allow recipients to get home and community-based services rather than institutional care. In the past three years the waiting list for waivers has decreased from 3,204 to 1,613 people.
One waiver benefits children with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, providing them services such as one-on-one intervention treatment.
Parents and guardians learn how to participate and help develop their child’s skills and improve their communication, socialization and appropriate behavior.
Other waivers help people who depend on ventilators, people who need intravenous medication and people who need help being fed. It’s the Private Duty Nursing option for people with developmental disabilities. A registered nurse visits their home to provide ventilator care, oxygen support, intravenous drugs, feeding tube care and tracheostomy care.
People with a physical disability and people 65 and older may be eligible for ARChoices, for help with bathing, dressing, shopping, laundry and meal planning. They have one meal a day delivered to their home. A respite care option sends a worker to provide temporary care to people who cannot care for themselves. That gives some rest to their primary caregivers.
People enrolled in Medicaid may qualify for visits from home health aides who help with bathing, dressing and food preparation. Also, Medicaid beneficiaries may qualify for visits from nurses and therapists.
Assisted living waivers allow beneficiaries to live independently in apartment-style units while receiving help with everyday tasks and personal hygiene. They get help managing their prescription drugs.
Counseling is available for people with mental illness, people who abuse drugs and people with behavioral issues caused by a lack of coping skills. To qualify, beneficiaries must have a mental health diagnosis, a psychiatric assessment or a substance abuse assessment.
The TEFRA program helps people pay for medical services if they have children with substantial disabilities. TEFRA stands for the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act. The amount of financial help is determined by the family’s income.