State Needs Millions For Program

LAWMAKER SAYS 1,300 ON WAITING LIST BECAUSE STATE CAN’T PAY MATCH

By Scott F Davis

Posted: November 24, 2009 at 4:20 a.m.

Bob Coleman
State Reps., from left, Uvalde Lindsey, Jim House, Lindsley Smith, Les Carnine and State Sen. Sue Madison take part in a legislative luncheon Monday at the Washington Regional Education Center in the Pat Walker Center for Seniors in Fayetteville. The luncheon was sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Washington County.

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FAYETTEVILLE — More than 1,300 children and adults with disabilities are on a waiting list for in-home services because the state can’t aftord to pay its part of the required federal match, a lawmaker said Monday.

The state needs $15 million to be able to provide help in the most cost eft ective way — in-home and communitybased setting — rather than more costly institutionalization, State Rep. Uvalde Lindsey, D-Fayetteville, told the League of Women’s Voters of Washington County.

“One of the biggest needs in this great state is to address how we help those folks who need help the most — our children and adults with disabilities,” he said in an interview.

The waiting list is for services under the Home and Community Based Waiver Program at the Department of Human Service’s Division of Disability Services, he explained.

“We don’t have enough money appropriated for the state match to Medicaid — it costs us 27 cents to provide these services, with 73 cents coming from the federal government under the Medicaid program,” he explained. “With a state general revenue budget of $4.4 billion, I cannot understand why we can’t fi x this problem.”

Lindsey, co-chairman of the Legislatures’ task force for autism, said many of the patients on the waiting list sufter from autism.

Lindsey was one of five Northwest Arkansas lawmakers who discussed health care and autism issues during a legislative luncheon

at the

Regional Education Center in the Pat Walker Center for Seniors.

The League, which sponsored the forum, had also hoped to ask more about alternative transportation, but health care issues took up most of the time, said Joyce Hale, president of the league.

State Sen. Sue Madison said that a key to solving the problem with autism is fi nding out what’s causing it.

“We need to put more money into research,” she said. “Someone needs to fi nd out what’s causing it. Parents don’t know what they are supposed to do or not do. It is devastating to families and children.

Hale said in an interview that with many health care issues, like autism and cancer, it’s important to identify the causes, not just treat the symptoms.

“We can’t just look at the treatment — we must find the cause,” Hale said. “Every part of it is expensive.”

Lindsey doesn’t know what is causing an increase of autism, but he knows that help is needed.

“The point is we have children here that are aft ected that need our help,” he said.

Hale said she was pleased five legislators participated — Lindsey, Madison, State Rep. Jim House, and State Rep. Lindsley Smith, both D-Fayetteville, and State Rep. Les Carnine, R-Rogers.

House said the session was a good opportunity for League members to form a closer relationship with their lawmakers.

“The league does a good job of giving both sides of the issue,” House said. “They’ve got a broad range of questions.”

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