Key points:
- Arkansans with severe disabilities have often had to wait years for Medicaid to cover supportive living services.
- The managed care system Arkansas implemented in 2018 doesn’t pay caregivers enough, disability advocates say.
- The federal government announced that states are no longer required to provide home- or community-based care for people with disabilities, worrying advocates about the future of care for this population.
This summary was produced by an Advocate reporter. Read our AI policy here.
Laura Hellinga moved to a new house in Highfill two years ago, hoping it would be more accessible for her 15-year-old daughter, who was born with a rare joint disorder and uses a motorized wheelchair.
Their previous house had a track attached to the ceiling that could lift her daughter, Landry, in and out of her chair more safely than her mother could. But when Hellinga informed Landry’s health insurance provider that she wanted to move the contraption to the new house, she was informed it wouldn’t be covered anymore…