Activists finally being heard about cuts
Vicki from WV ADAPT sent this to me.
Disability community speaks up about Medicaid waiver cuts
By Susan Williams
Staff writer
WV Gazette
“Scary and heartbreaking” are the words Vicki Shaffer used to
describe how she views the Manchin administration’s approach to
programs that help the disabled.
Shaffer, who has cerebral palsy, has received the MR/DD waiver for
the last three years. In the federal Medicaid program, MR/DD means
mentally retarded/developmentally disabled. Besides her personal
perspective, she has a larger perspective that grew from her co-
founding ADAPT WV in 1997 with Ken Ervin. ADAPT stands for Americans
with Disabilities for Attendant Programs Today. The West Virginia
group is a branch of the national group that was founded in 1977.
Each year, Shaffer said, she has been forced to fight to continue to
keep her waiver services. When state officials have attempted to take
her services away, they always tell her it is because she is “too
intelligent.”
If someone gets a notice that services will be terminated, that
person can ask for a hearing. Shaffer said a Department of Health and
Human Resources lawyer asked Shaffer’s administrative law judge to
reconsider her decision and to deny Shaffer services.
“But my judge said I was eligible for services, and she wouldn’t do
it,” Shaffer said.
Shaffer, who lives in Morgantown, is active in a network of people
who try to make sure all disabled people have the services they need.
On ADAPT’s Web site, they have a drawing of a skeleton in a
wheelchair who is holding a sign that says, “Tired of waiting for
community services?”
She is also worried about the nonverbal people who need waiver
services.
“They will not know what hit them. Just because you are nonverbal
does not mean you are not smart.”
In the 1990s, she was able to take 20 hours of college classes at
then Fairmont State College. She would like to take a few more
college classes now, but state officials continue to deny her the
chance.
ADAPT has taken on several highly visible projects. They successfully
sued a cab company that did not want to give rides to the disabled.
Shaffer said she and ADAPT have had to fight for services over the
years.
“But we have never had so much trouble with a governor before. He
[Gov. Joe Manchin] is not listening to us; he is not answering our e-
mails. He just closes down the doors,” Shaffer said.
Members of ADAPT met with Manchin and members of his administration
when the administration hosted the Vision Shared meeting in
Clarksburg, but said they did not get far.
The other ADAPT co-founder, Ken Ervin, was in Charleston Wednesday to
show his support for legislation that would allow money to follow the
individual in need.
“There are about 2,000 West Virginians in nursing homes who want to
return home,” Ervin said. “But unless you create the infrastructure
to allow these people to live in the community, what is the point?”
There are other waiver programs in the state. Some help aged and
disabled people. Some help families who open their homes to the
disabled. ADAPT is worried about changes in all of the waiver
programs. A Charleston lawyer announced Monday that he will sue the
state on behalf of people who were denied services through the
Medicaid Aged and Disabled Waiver program.
“They [state officials] are doing what is expedient with little or no
regard for their citizens,” he said. “We are letting policy- makers
know that we are not going to stand for changes that leave us without
services. What are people going to do?”
People who rely on the waiver programs are not able to live in their
homes without help.
Ervin said he hopes all people who need waiver services will attend a
meeting at 10 a.m. July 19 in the office of the Bureau for Senior
Services in Charleston. “All waiver users should attend, and let
policy-makers know how they feel.”
Lara Ramsburg, spokeswoman for Manchin, said the administration “must
make responsible decisions with the amount of money we have.”