Testimony to
House Social Services
Budget Committee
Chairwoman Landwehr and members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to provide this testimony to you regarding the budget for the Kansas Department on Aging (KDOA). My name is Tanya Dorf, and I serve as the Chair of the Governmental Affairs Committee for the Kansas Association of Centers for Independent Living (KACIL). I am also the Executive Director of Independence, Inc., one of the twelve Centers for Independent Living (CILs) KACIL represents.
Centers for Independent Living provide services to people with disabilities of all ages. CILs also provide information and assistance to businesses and other entities in the community to increase opportunities for people with disabilities to live, work and participate in all aspects of community life. We advocate at a state and national level for the rights of all people with disabilities to live in the communities of their choice.
KACIL supports the Governor’s Budget Recommendation for the
FY 2006 KDOA budget. The budget fully funds the Home and Community-Based
Services Frail Elderly waiver. Full funding for the waiver allows all older
Kansans who need Medicaid long-term care services to have a choice between
nursing facility and community-based services. We urge the Committee to ensure
the agency continues to operate the waiver so people do not have to wait for
services in the community. It is also critical to ensure access to community
services is not diminished in the future by changing the eligibility
requirements or service definitions.
KACIL also supports the continued level of funding for the
Senior Care Act. The services older Kansans are able to access through Senior
Care Act funds help them maintain their independence and dignity.
One of KDOA’s enhancement requests for FY 2006 was a six
percent increase in the rates paid through the Frail Elderly waiver. KACIL
certainly supports increased rates for direct care services, as the people who
provide these services are some of the lowest paid in the state’s economy. It
is important to remember, though, that there are two different rates paid
through the Frail Elderly waiver – one rate for self-directed services and
another for agency-directed services.
People who
receive services under self-direction or non-self-direction are receiving the
same service, and the services should be reimbursed at the same rate.
This
principle goes beyond just the Frail Elderly waiver. Reimbursement rates paid
for similar services should be equal among all of the HCBS waivers. The rates
paid for services such as personal assistance vary in both amount and type of
payment, depending upon whether they are provided through the Developmental
Disabilities, Physical Disabilities, Frail Elderly or Traumatic Brain Injury
waivers. The level of staff providing the service and the type of service
itself, however, does not vary greatly depending on which waiver pays for the
services.
KDOA also requested an enhancement to provide dental benefits to persons who receive Frail Elderly waiver services. Dental services are some of the most important preventive medical services available, but without access to them, elderly people, people with disabilities and people with low-income levels are not able to stave off many preventable medical conditions. This is a service Kansans have not had for many years, and it is time to restore it. Given the state’s budget situation this year, it may not be possible to restore these services in FY 2006. But, it is critical that the Committee and the agency remember how important dental services are and find a place in the budget for the services as soon as possible.
Thank you for
the opportunity to provide testimony about the KDOA budget. I would be happy to
provide any additional information at the Committee’s request.
Tanya Dorf,
Executive Director
Independence,
Inc.
785-841-0333
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