Metro Mobility
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"You don't have to be a man to fight for freedom. You need to be an intelligent human being. " -Malcolm X
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, Number 02
SOURCES
T G K A Cuts Delaved 3
TEFRA: A Legislative Recap And Update
3;yr
by Bob Brick
The Children's ~ o m Care e The&mgesmayJeeff!ma- d8bt7wouldexceed that of the Option (TEFL%)was devel- sonable if the assumptions total TEFRA program. 7 opad inthemid-1980's as pan driving the Legislation were fitbe State9$philosophy to true. However, many advo- So what happens now? Due , prevent . * out-of-home place- cates haveconcluded thatthe to the legislative changes
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. support services through the DHS estimated that the
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Ovn Isod&+#iQr.gkr$r qqtmrters mmed at the Slate Capitol Rotunda on 7udBbp, January L J ~ dd-61. Activists updated supporlers on Metro MobilSty, PCA and TEFRA c u e and olso encouraged them to s p k out, write, and visit legislators. The miraly was spttsorsd bgr Centerfor Independent Living and rhe Consortiumfor Citizens with Disabilities.
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n Interview V.*Ith Rep. Lee Greenfield by Charlie Smith, Editor ACCESS PRESS: Can you tell me about the bill you've introduced regarding the Personal Care Attendant (PCA) md TEFRA programs? Rep. Greenfield: I introduced a bill &at will repeal the cuts thd wemn&lelastyeatinthe PCA program and the TEFRA program. What I'm also doing is meeting with the Department of Human Services @HS) to make them split &t those whoare affected by category, by subgroupofpopulation, by kind of service, and what's built into the budget elsewheretomcount for some ofthe f o k . And hopeto make it as whole as possible this session. I think we can go a long way. I don't think it will
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want a lack of service or less service- but it seemsto me we might want to provide a li#le ACCESS PRESS: It is ru- more training to somebody mored you'd like to see the who works with these other PCA program scaled back to populations. And that's the just people who can direct part that was the concern. I think the DHS took that diftheu own care again. ferently. And sonowthe quesRep. Greenfield: Well, the &m L what's i i t h e and diction DHS and what we what's not and what do we do. did last year wasn't clear. Obviously, people with brain What is clear is that when we injuries which is one of the it -we have estabkhed the program for popul~ionsusiq people yho could & i t their to provide serviees for, if we o m cam, W s what PCA's don't, in fact, give them some were originally for. Then we kind ofpersonal services, they started using them for people can go in institutions which who can't direct theu own would be more expensiveand care.And it would seemtome less freedom forthem and less we might want a little mare appropriate. But it's not clear training for those who cannot to me if a PCA is the appropridirect their own care. I don't are kind of trdmd person. effect people whohave rCA's who manage their own care.
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Greenfield - cont. on p. 5
Medical A s s k t a n c e p ~ . of the TEFRA program qualify based on the $36 millionpery&. By May offtheprogram iaafity mda&G-kivy'1895,the cast vim i d e n W the mori i e s d needed by the child. as $24 mill ion. There were no care criteria now being used. Families pay a fee based on significant program changes income, to participate in the made during this time period. Accordingto DHS, thesechil' Likewise, enrollment figures dren have a variety of disPmPn". for the program have ranged abling conditions: 670 have The kparlmat of Human fhm 4,001) to 3,534. EnrollServices(DHS) m ~ ~ B 2 l g w t ~ g & over 90% of the enrolled fhm- the paie projded UY h ~ . . and 400 have mental illness ilies also have private health In fact, it is dropping. or behavioral disabilities. care insurance. These families ofken use the program as a While using these figures, way to obtain servicesthat are there was little meation of DHS originallyprojected that not co.vered timy@ their pri- * alternatives amilabiet e ~fam- these &&lren would lose vate insurance. Examples in- ilies if this service were not TEFRAeligibility by ~anuary cludeout-of-pocket expewes available. Often it was stated I, 1996. When DHS was unfor acute care services, dura- that b i l i e s would have to able to meet that deadline, the ble medical equipment, ther- use private resources, fami- 1645 children were to lose apies, personal care assistance lies, churches or the commu- services on March 1,1996. nity to provide the necessary and prescriptions. services. Never mind that Just recently, advocates In 1995, the GoWmor pps many families would go 1edthatthesec:hildren~dl posed eliminating the TEFRA barkrupt trying to finance the receive another reprieve. The program based on an assump- heaIh care needs oftheu chil- Cornmhsioner ofthe Departtion that the program was dren or that many do not have ment of Human Services regrowing out of control. After the informal support system cently approved a plan to althe disability cornunity ml- that DHS believes is avail- low enrolled children to conlied t~ save the program, the able. tinue on the progfam until after the legislature adjourns. Legislature cut it dramaticalEqually disturbing was the ly. impression created by DHS Thisdecision essentiallybuys The Legislature diectedDHS that if these services were not time for the legislature to reto increase parent fees, re- available, children would not view more information about assess all children on the pro- need them. The reality is that the children who will be vut gram, and to tighten up the this program provides the type off and determine if it wishes level of care criteria. Addi- of support services needed by to implenent the cuts. It is tianally, counties were given families in order to keep their estimatedthat the Legislature the authority to conduct the children at home. Ifonly 10% would have to allocate about assessments for all people in ofthe enrolledfirnuliesplaced $7 million to reverse these need of Personal Care Assis- theuchildrenout-oFthe-home and the PCA cuts scheduled tance Services effective on because adequatesupportser- to be effective July 1, 1996. vices were not available, the TEFRQ - cont. on p. 4 January 1, 1996. t