Kansas will not be allowed to move forward with the plan to move long-term services for the state's intellectually and developmentally disabled to the KanCare program.
Early this year the state moved the administration of most Medicaid services to three private insurance companies, part of a program now called KanCare. In-home and long-term care services for the developmentally disabled was set to be included with KanCare on Jan. 1, 2014, but approval was needed from the federal Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS).
The Kansas Health Institute reports there were four main areas of concern from the feds, including the number of people on the disability services waiting list, concern over payment delays, and the organizational structure.
A release from the Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services says the state is still in conversation with officials at CMS, and continue to work with the department. The release says they are working on an agreement and expect an implementation timeline by Feb. 1, 2014.
People with developmental disabilities, along with family members and advocates, have been vocal about their opposition to moving residential and long-term care services to the KanCare program.
The inclusion of those services was already delayed once - moving the Jan. 1, 2013 start date to Jan. 1 2014.
