Low Medicaid rates force agency to cut day services for disabled in Carson City, Gardnerville
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Mon, 09/02/2019 - 8:43am
United Cerebral Palsy of Nevada has notified the state that it can no longer afford to offer day-habilitation services for adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities in the Carson City and Gardnerville areas.
Beginning Nov. 1, United Cerebral Palsy of Nevada will transition its focus entirely to employment-placement community-based programs. UCPNV’s programs in Sparks and Elko will not be affected and continue to thrive for those communities, according to a news release.
United Cerebral Palsy of Nevada has existed since 1949 to serve individuals living with disabilities such as cerebral palsy, Down Syndrome, Autism Spectrum Disorder, physical disabilities, traumatic brain injury and others.
UCPNV day-habilitation programs are funded by Nevada’s Medicaid reimbursement dollars. The reimbursement rate, which remains 25 percent below the estimated costs of operations, is among the lowest in the country, according to the agency.
UCPNV’s Carson City and Gardnerville day-habilitation programs have lost a "substantial" amount of money in the last year.
“We took on these areas to contribute to the rural district’s day-habilitation needs and it’s apparent the challenges to operating them in a way that provides the very best service for the individuals is just too difficult with the current reimbursement rates from the state,” said Monica Elsbrock, CEO of UCPNV. “We simply can’t afford to operate day-habilitation in Carson City and Gardnerville and our Board of Trustees decided to focus more on helping people with disabilities get jobs.”
The Rural Regional Center, operated through the state's Department of Health & Human Services, Aging and Disability Services Division, is working to find a replacement provider for day-habilitation services in the area.
UCPNV's Elsbrock says the agency it is committed to supporting the staff and families affected through the transition process and looks forward to helping place individuals in competitive-employment programs moving forward.
