Advocates are raising alarm that certain people who still need services will lose them, causing their health to decline or forcing them into institutional settings like nursing homes (Scott Olson/Getty Images)..
Nearly 8,000 seniors and Missourians with disabilities could lose at-home care over the next year after a new eligibility algorithm went into effect this week, a spokesperson for the state health department told The Independent.
Starting Oct. 1, Missouri’s Department of Health and Senior Services implemented a change in the scoring algorithm they use to determine eligibility during annual reviews and enrollment for those receiving help with everyday tasks like going to the bathroom, getting dressed and taking their prescriptions. The assistance is part of a Medicaid-funded program called home and community based services designed to provide an alternative to those who would otherwise need to receive institutional care.
That change, according to the department, is designed to help ensure those who truly need the services receive them, and those who don’t — for instance, because their conditions have improved or they’re not severe enough to qualify — are removed.