http://www.omaha.com/article/20100605/NEWS01/706059860#home-health-clients-upset-over-letterBy Rick Ruggles
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
Nebraska's state health agency rescinded a letter Friday that troubled many who benefit from home health care, but a similar letter might eventually be sent to those people.
Those affected include some of the state's most vulnerable: quadriplegics and others who need help getting dressed or fed. They are concerned that they will receive inadequate care or be forced into nursing homes if they can't continue the services they've used, in some cases for years.
The letter involved a plan by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services to move dozens of people who receive Medicaid-funded home nursing care into lower-cost services delivered by people with less training. The letter, sent by a Seattle-based health care organization called Qualis Health, prompted outrage from some clients and questions from some state senators.
The state's Medicaid director, Vivianne Chaumont, told state senators by e-mail Friday that the Qualis letter was “confusing and inadequate.” The recipients who were ordered to obtain a lower level of service will receive new letters, Chaumont said, and should disregard the Qualis notice. They will be told their current services “will continue at this time.”
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However, state health and human services spokeswoman Kathie Osterman cautioned that while the Qualis notice was confusing, it's “likely that the decision will remain the same” and some clients will have to move to lower service levels.
Osterman said Chaumont hadn't seen the Qualis letter until Friday. Osterman said the reviews, which Qualis was hired to perform, will be repeated and Qualis will receive further clarification from state officials. Fewer people might be affected because of this, Osterman said.
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