Tim Rogers posted on April 02, 2010 10:25
Updated 04/01/2010 05:45 PM
By: Loretta Boniti
News14.com
RALEIGH – The State Court of Appeals has extended an order stopping the Department of Health and Human Services from reducing personal care services for Medicaid patients. DHHS wants to make the cuts to save money because Medicaid is $250 million over budget.
The group Home and Hospice Care of North Carolina is currently in the middle of a court battle with DHHS at the level of the State Court of Appeals. Advocates are asking to stop the state from cutting the personal care services.
“This program is less than three percent of the total Medicaid budget,” Tim Rogers, with Home and Hospice Care of North Carolina, said. “To continue to slash and burn the personal care services program is a slap in the face to elderly people and senior citizens in the state.”
But the state is looking for Medicaid money wherever they can find it. It is estimated that Medicaid will be $250 million over budget by the end of the fiscal year. DHHS secretary Lanier Cansler says by using a new funding formula for personal care services, the state could save money that he watched get cut from his budget by legislators last summer.
“In retrospect, knowing what I know now, I would have certainly fought to find other ways to deal with this budget shortfall,” Cansler said during an interview in December.
There will be a hearing at a later date by the State Court of Appeals to determine if the state can move forward with its action to rework personal care services for existing patients. As of Thursday, the state has made some changes to services for any new patients.
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