State Medicaid officials to hold public meetings in Vegas, Reno

CARSON CITY -- The state agency that manages the $500 million a year Medicaid program promised Wednesday to hold its public hearings in Las Vegas and Reno after a physically disabled man complained that it was hard to get to Carson City.

Paul Gowins, confined to a wheelchair, said there's no public transportation to get to Carson City. "It's impossible to get to Carson City unless you're in the upper (income) echelon."

His comments were echoed by Brian Lahren, who heads an independent social services agency in Reno. He said public transportation was "minimal at best," for the disabled who "struggle heroically to get down here."

Janice Wright, who has been acting administrator of the state Division of Health Care Financing and Policy for about six months, said she was still learning and added she would be glad to schedule hearings in Las Vegas and Reno.

But she said the agency has limited money for travel. Gowins replied the money was no more limited than the $500 a month some of the handicapped must live on. "Nobody's getting it," he complained.

Gowins said handicapped people who don't have car have to hitch a ride with somebody from Reno to get to Carson City.

Wright suggested there might be televised hearings. And Gowins said there would be a lot more attendance at these hearings if they were held in the metropolitan areas.

Wright said she was in the "learning process" and she conceded that the hearing room in the Legislature Wednesday was not a good place for the more than 10 people in wheelchairs who attended.

The hearing was on how to spend the $918,000 the Legislature allocated to expand services for the physically disabled. The division plans to try to move the disabled on Medicaid out of nursing homes, where possible and into less restricted living arrangements.

Wright said there was not enough money to do everything and she wanted to hear from those who know best what is needed. There are an estimated 160 persons on the waiting list to get into the program.

Mary Jean Thompson of the Independent Living Center in Northern Nevada told Wright the present services that are supposed to be available, are not adequate.

She told of one physically disabled man living on his own who had a helper come in from Medicaid. But the helper never showed up and there was no telephone number disabled individuals could call after hours to get help. "Sometimes they go for days and they have to find their own help," she said.

In this case, she lived across the street from the disabled man and was able to give some aid.

Lahren said some priorities for spending the new money would be training for in "assisted living skills" for the disabled; modification of homes to make it easier for the handicapped from everything from switching on lights to turning on water.

Gowins said basic services that should be financed include helping with the chores such as unpacking groceries; modification of homes and helping the individual in the home.

archive