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The stories being heard in towns big and small from Wabash to Howard to Randolph Counties are tragic, to say the least. The new, modernized welfare eligibility system is not
working.
Social service agencies in the 12-county pilot area for the new system report exploding increases in demand for services. Food pantries, for example, cite far heavier need and dwindling supplies. (Another 27 counties rolled out in late March.)
Enough stories have been shared to lead United Senior Action and others to conclude immediate action by Governor Daniels and the Indiana General Assembly is needed.
On March 11th, United Senior Action joined the Indiana Alliance for Retired Americans and the Indiana Home Care Task Force in holding a press conference to share the stories and draw attention to the crisis.
USA State President Jim Wallihan emphasized “As a representative of United Senior
Action, I want to be clear that this is about seniors but it is also about people with disabilities,
low income people and all of us.”
Dan Skinner, Dennis Lanane, and Nancy Griffin are among the volunteers who have been conducting the on-sight investigations. (We are proud that among their many other volunteer efforts, Lanane serves on the USA State Board and Griffin on the USA Foundation Board.) The trio described the conclusions they have reached based on their interviews and observations in the welfare modernization counties.
Their findings include the following:
1. Medicaid eligibility and eligibility redetermination processes appear to present substantial barriers to seniors, persons with cognitive impairments, and other citizens with disabilities who need Medicaid and/or food stamps.
2. Very, very few caseworkers to assist Medicaid clients and applicants.
3. A system that seems, by its own design, to be dysfunctional, wasteful and out of sync with the people it is supposed to serve.
4. Poor management.
While hard data has not been compiled, enough soft data (i.e. human suffering) has been collected leading the groups to call for:
1. Governor Daniels to intervene immediately to ascertain what is happening and to take whatever steps are necessary to keep vulnerable citizens from being harmed.
2. The General Assembly to conduct its own independent investigation which could
begin with an audit and investigation of the welfare modernization roll-out by the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency. LSA should report its findings as soon as possible.
3. The General Assembly to conduct public hearings in the welfare modernization counties in order to hear directly from affected citizens, caseworkers, and community service agencies. These hearings could be jointly conducted by the Health Finance Commission and the Select Joint Commission on Medicaid Oversight.
4. The modernization rollout be suspended, if necessary, pending the findings of the Governor and the General Assembly.
5. All actions taken by the Governor and the General Assembly be transparent.
Mitch Roob, Secretary of the Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA), dismissed the groups’ concerns. As reported by Associated Press reporter Ken Kusmer, “State human service chief Mitch Roob dismissed the criticisms as vague, said his agency was providing more services to people instead of less, and said the rollout is due to expand from its original 12 counties to 27 more across southern and western Indiana on March 24.” (Louisville Courier-Press)
Calls to Governor, Legislators Needed United Senior Action members are urged to call Governor Daniels asking him to investigate the system before any other expansion begins. Members are also urged to contact their own state representative and senator, asking them to support legislative hearings in the affected areas.“Even if you do not live in one of the counties, if changes are not made now, the problems will only be worse by the time the system is in place in your area,” said Niemier.
Call Your State Representative (800-382-9842) and Your State Senator (800-382-9467).
Urge them to:
1- Hold legislative hearings in the counties to hear first-hand how the system is working.
2- Call on the governor not to expand into other counties until we have this right!
Call Governor Mitch Daniels at 317-232-4567 Urge him to:
1- Investigate what is really happening to people in the pilot counties.
2- Promise not to expand into other counties until we have it right!
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