Federal Court Ruling Means More Funds to State Services for People with Intellectual Disabilities
Friday, October 02, 2009 | 11:14am
NASHVILLE – A federal court ruling involving the Arlington Developmental Center near Memphis will mean more federal money for services to people with intellectual disabilities in Tennessee. The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee granted a state motion that will result in an additional $38 million that can be budgeted for medical services through the Division of Intellectual Disabilities Services (DIDS) and TennCare.
“The court’s ruling will allow us to provide benefits that would cover all persons in waiver services, not merely the members of the Arlington Plaintiff Class,” said Stephen Norris, deputy commissioner for the Division of Intellectual Disabilities Services. “We have worked toward resolving court battles so we can concentrate efforts and resources on delivering the best possible services to Tennesseans with intellectual disabilities.”
The court’s ruling allows the state to terminate a contract with the Community Services Network of West Tennessee (CSN). The state can then negotiate for the services to be provided by a current TennCare contractor, which would be eligible for federal matching money where CSN did not receive federal funds.
The state plans to use the additional funds to develop an Integrated Health Services Delivery Model for people with intellectual disabilities who are served through the state’s Medicaid programs. The additional funds may also allow the state to offset any future reductions for the division that may be necessary in Fiscal Year 2011.
CSN was created after an August 1999 citation requiring the state to enter the contract to provide healthcare services to members of the class lawsuit. The services were in addition to those that were otherwise available through TennCare or home and community-based services program.
“The employees of the division continually strive to enhance the quality of care for the persons we support. Our focus must always remain on the persons we serve,” Norris said. “Family members will be pleased to learn we are leveraging more federal funds to take care of those who are in need of these services.”