Advocates on Friday announced a campaign urging Gov. Sam Brownback to exclude long-term care services for those with developmental disabilities from KanCare.
The "Dear Governor" campaign will include television and radio spots featuring parents of Kansans with developmental disabilities asking Brownback to leave the current system of providing services as it is.
"Our message is simple: Do not conduct any experiments with the programs that serve such a vital set of needs for Kansans with intellectual and developmental disabilities," said Tom Laing, executive director of InterHab, which represents most of the state's Community Developmental Disability Organizations.
Under current law, control of long-term care services for those with developmental disabilities will be turned over to KanCare, the state's new Medicaid system that is run by three for-profit insurance companies.
The Brownback administration has maintained that the switchover will not result in a cut in services. But advocates for those with disabilities strongly disagree.
“There is no evidence nationally of how managed care will impact services for Kansans with intellectual and developmental disabilities,” Laing said. “What the governor is proposing is an experiment, and tens of thousands of Kansans feel strongly that we should not experiment with the services that our most vulnerable citizens depend on every day to continue to live in the community.”
Laing wants the Legislature, which returns for the wrap-up session on May 8, to act on the issue.
