October Visit
Valerie Mielke, Deputy Commissioner for Health Services in the Department of Human Services and Natalie Kotkin, Senior Advisor for NJ Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services, joined ABCD members at the October board meeting to discuss H.R.1 implementation, specifically the implementation of the work reporting requirements and eligibility verifications. Though many people with IDD/medically fragile are formally “carved out” depending on how CMS choses to define “medically fragile,” many caregivers who support people with disabilities who are enrolled in the Medicaid expansion could still inadvertently lose coverage due to possible system strain and confusion. In addition, Medicaid expansion enrollees who are working and subject to the additional eligibility requirements may also inadvertently lose coverage if the reporting process is complicated, inaccessible, and inopportune. During the discussion, ABCD was sure to make clear that we believe that it is in all our best interests that people with I/DD, their caregivers, and all current enrollees remain enrolled, otherwise, the health care system will be destabilized, Medicaid resources will be decreased which will decrease the amount of resources available to providers, and many people will not have access to healthcare services until it becomes an emergency. Too this end, ABCD made clear that they are ready to help the state in their efforts to minimize the impact of HR1 on the IDD community and the community at large. We thank DC Mielke and SA Kotkin for joining our meeting and look forward to working with them to prevent the erosion of health care services.
