The state of West Virginia is currently undergoing a “Medicaid Redesign process.” Our governor says that the overhaul of Medicaid will make history. Many of us in the disability community are worried that the only thing that will be created through this process are serious problems in the lives of citizens with disabilities. Here are a few of the proposed changes that we have to look forward to:
1. One of the recommendations that have been put on the table is that new income limits be set for Medicaid recipients and the simply receiving SSI will no longer qualify individuals for Medicaid coverage.
2. All Medicaid recipients will be required to sign member agreements in order to receive Medicaid benefits. Individuals would have to sign agreements saying that they would not participate in habits such as smoking in order to receive Medicaid. I think there is a great possibility that these member agreements could infringe on the basic rights of citizens.
3. Policy makers say that there will be no caps on proposed services and that we are not moving toward a managed care system, however it is difficult to see how many of the services which are being proposed could be provided without caps.
4. While the governor and DHHR go on and on about accountability there are no quality assurances in place which guarantee that services are delivered by providers. Without accurate data collection methods we have no mechanism for determining where costs can truly be eliminated.

After a great deal of struggling, a few of us were invited to be part of the Redesign process. However, I am unsure that our opinions where truly heard or respected. We have heard that there may be pubic hearings, but no date has been set. If you are concerned about the sweeping changes which are proposed by Medicaid Redesign we urge you to contact the governor at 1-888-438-2731 to demand public hearings before any changes are made which could drastically effect our lives. To find more information about Medicaid Redesign check out http://www.wvdhhr.org/bms/.