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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'>Hi, everyone.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'>Do you know anyone who receives Senior and long-term care benefits or services and has had their services cut or terminated? You might want to make them aware of the following article.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'>Senior and Long Term Care Division of DPHHS Cuts Necessary Services<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'>We continue to be disappointed by the actions of the Senior and Long Term Care Division of DPHHS. Since its change in leadership in the last 4 to 5 years, we have seen people lose their Big Sky waiver slots, be denied entry to the waiver program and even be denied entry to the waiting list. We have seen hours slashed and equipment denied for specious reasons. We have seen arbitrary caps placed on services, without justification and without consideration of individual needs.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'>Although the Division administrator testified to a legislative interim committee in September 2019 that these changes are primarily perception, our clients have proof of a wide variety of harms that have been caused by the change of this administration’s actions. These changes, which have been legion, seem to have started with the first, and most troubling of them all - a change in procedure in which division employees were told to look for any reason they could possibly justify to take people off of the Big Sky waiver, and then, if they appeal, let them back onto the waiver. Given the substantial disabilities that the people on this waiver have, giving them the burden to take legal action to maintain their services is immoral. We learned of this change in policy from a whistleblower, who was the first of many to contact us complaining about this administration at the Division. We also have accumulated independent evidence that this is true. Every single person we have helped with an appeal of the denial of waiver services has won.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'>*We recently represented a 31-year-old who is blind. This person received Big Sky Waiver services for several years, but in November, 2018, the program determined she was no longer disabled and terminated her services, even though her disability had not changed. When we appealed, the program reversed itself and restored services but only after 6 months had passed since the initial termination of services.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'>*We also represented an 8-year-old without arms who was denied a feeding machine to eat independently at home or at school. It was deemed not “medically necessary” and staff opined that it was not the most cost-effective option, although other realistic options were not proposed or available. We helped her parents appeal this denial and the program reversed itself and paid for a feeding machine.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'>*Yet another of our clients is a student who had her support and socialization hours cut as the program determined that those hours, on their own, did not keep her from being institutionalized. They were critical supports for her to function at school. We intervened and her hours were restored. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'>These are only 3 of the 13 cases we have been working on where an individual was denied services by this Division. In every case, the administration has reversed its denial when we appeal. To us, this is strong evidence that it does not believe in its position in these cases, and is still employing a version of its early practice mentioned above – deny services for any possible reason, and if there is an appeal, reinstate those services. Although our clients have been able to defeat this practice, many others do not have the time, resources or energy to appeal these decisions. We are very worried that the Division is using this practice to cut necessary services for many other people in need as they know that a substantial number of people will not challenge these decisions.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'>As our staff travels throughout the state and speaks with our fellow Montanans at conferences and other gatherings, we hear over and over again about the difficulties they are having with this Division. We never heard this kind of concern about the actions of this Division in the past. The Children, Families, Health and Human Services Committee is currently conducting an interim study of this Division. Its members need to hear from you if you or someone you know has been affected by the decisions being made by the Senior and Long Term Care Division of DPHHS. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><a href="https://DisabilityRightsMT.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9937c0f2ad7acf59fa7c183d1&id=d611bde650&e=d0632197b9" target="_blank" title="Contact Committee Members Here"><b><span style='color:white;text-decoration:none'>Contact Committee Members Here</span></b></a></span><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>Joy Breslauer, First Vice President<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>National Federation of the Blind of Montana <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>Web Site: <a href="http://www.nfbofmt.org/">http://www.nfbofmt.org</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>Live the life you want</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>The National Federation of the Blind is a community of members and friends who believe in the hopes and dreams of the nation’s blind. Every day we work together to help blind people live the lives they want. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>