State Senator Janae Shamp (R-29) and State Representative Julie Willoughby (R-13) are demanding the renegotiation of new healthcare policies set to take effect on October 1st.
Both lawmakers shared in a recent statement that "creating this tool is a huge responsibility, and we need people at the table who have real-life experiences and expertise to ensure the best possible outcomes for our people."
For additional context, beginning on October 1st, Arizona's Long Term Care System (ALTCS) will begin a new program in which eligible members will complete a yearly person-centered service plan (PCSP) with their Support Coordinator.
A second new policy is the revision to the Home and Community-Based Services Needs Tool (HNT), the system by which members are assessed for hourly attendant care and habilitation services. The revisions promote a standardized process for assessing the medical necessity of specific attendant care tasks and habilitation services, including new comprehensive guidance documents for both children and adults.
According to State Sen. Shamp and State Rep. Willoughby, the people of Arizona were given little room to speak about the bill, and the new system will prove burdensome.
"We hear the voices of self-advocates, parents, and direct care workers loud and clear," State Sen. Shamp expressed. "Lives are at stake, and we must act now to ensure our disability support system functions for the best possible outcomes."
Similarly, State Rep. Willoughby commented that "families are desperate to be heard. The deadline is coming fast, and this new assessment tool is not evidence-based, as all health care should be."
"We're talking about decisions that directly affect vulnerable Arizonans and their families, and yet those voices were left out," the Chandler Representative continued, adding that "it should not fall on the Legislature to clean this up after the damage is done. Bureaucrats get this wrong every time when they act without listening."
Shamp and Willoughby are both "urging DES and AHCCCS to pause these harmful changes and sit down with families and providers to develop an approach that works."
