Note: Below is a Public Comment submitted to DMA regarding the 8M Clinical Coverage Policy proposal for CAP-I/DD during the 15 day comment period from July 28 - August 11, 2011. This exert was pulled from it's original source, a public record, and is posted exactly as it appeared save the removal of the submitter's personal contact information and abbreviation of last name.
[ More on DMA Public Comments. ]
Comment 270
To: Webmedpolicy, Dma
Cc: R&T Gmail account
Subject: 8M-CAP-I-DD
Sent: Thursday, August 11, 2011 4:43 PM
To whom it may concern,
I am extremely concerned by the proposed changes to the CAP waiver. Please consider the following before you make any changes.
Twenty hours of habilitative care per week during the school year is not sufficient for our autistic son. The improvements in behavior, language and social skills we have seen as a result of the hab techs hard work with our son have been a blessing and are truly invaluable. A decrease in hours would be devastating to all the effort put forth by our family and his workers. I know that we are not the only family that feels this way and this strongly about this proposed change. Please do not cut these hours!!!!!
Do not remove home supports either! Our son is not yet 18, but we know other families that are relying heavily on these services for their kids. I would hope and pray home supports would be available when he is 18 to give him a chance at a better life.
I know each one of you cares about the population supported by CAP. I would hope you would not be in this job otherwise. It took our family six long years from our initial application date until our son received his waiver. It was a devastating time financially for our family from which we have not recovered as we tried to do what we could without any support. I know that these are desperate financial times for everyone in this state and in this country, but this population of people and their families are already deeply in debt and desperately need the invaluable assistance provided by the CAP waiver. I beg you not to make a stressful and difficult situation worse. The autistic population in this state had no choice when it came to being autistic. You can make a choice to support them by not changing the CAP waiver. Thank you for your consideration of our ideas on this matter
