Give it time
Re: “Broken Promises” (4/26/2018): The recent article about Dane County’s transition to the Family Care was at best incomplete. Many stakeholders, such as managed care organizations (MCOs), older and physically disabled consumers, especially those on waiting lists, were not interviewed for the article. And, eliminating waiting lists was the real reason for Family Care, not, as the article states, to create “an alternative for counties that no longer wanted to provide support locally.”
Most of us knew that the scope of the changes would create problems but the more important consideration is how those problems get resolved. I believe that it would have been appropriate to wait awhile to see if they got resolved to the satisfaction of consumers. I know that there are many caring people, paid professionals, volunteers and advocates working very hard to see that that happens. Therefore, it is a little early to claim “broken promises” when the full transition takes 36 months and the Dane County transition is only in its first few months.
Frail elders in Dane County still face the same problems that led to Medicaid reform — either receive care in a nursing home or go on a waiting list. This also was true for people with disabilities in most other counties that did not put local resources into long-term care. Dane County was the major exception that did put significant resources into long-term care, especially for the developmentally disabled population, although this funding has been steadily declining over the past several years.
“Family Care” is actually three different programs: 1) Family Care managed long-term care, 2) Include Respect, I Self-Direct (IRIS) that is self-directed care, and 3) Partnership, which is managed care for both long-term care and health care. Partnership has been available in Dane County for many years but the choice of living arrangement options is expanded now that Family Care is in Dane County. For example, older people living in assisted living facilities are now eligible for Partnership whereas they were not prior to Family Care.
The immediate issue is seeing that the over 2,000 people who were getting services through Medicaid Waiver programs continue to receive the services that they need to live in their own homes and communities. I suggest that Isthmus revisit this issue in the future, talk with a much broader representation of stakeholders, and see if a less inflated title might be appropriate.
— Bob Kellerman, chair, Wisconsin Aging Advocacy Network
Corrections: In “Guardians of the Art” (5/10/2018) Mel Becker Solomon’s name should not have been hyphenated; also, she is the curator — not director — of the permanent collection. MMoCA officials knew Frida Kahlo’s “Pitahayas” had been donated to the Madison Art Center, but they didn’t know how the previous owners had acquired it. Leah Kolb was not the lead curator for Jaume Plensa’s “Talking Continents.”
In last week’s issue, Jerry Apps was misidentified in the photo that accompanied the review. Apps was on the right, not the left. Also, in “My Generation,” it was incorrectly reported that Ben Sidran earned his master’s degree in Sussex, England; he earned his doctorate there in American Studies.
