Judge bans Arkansas from changing some services for disabled

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     LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) – A Pulaski County judge is banning the state of Arkansas from changing the level of in-home services it provides to seven disabled Medicaid recipients.

     The seven are suing the state Department of Human Services over changes in how their benefits are determined. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports that Circuit Judge Wendell Griffen on Friday barred the state from making changes until July when the lawsuit is scheduled for trial.

     The seven are enrolled in the ARChoices program that provides an in-home caretaker for a fixed number of hours per month.

     DHS now uses a computer program to determine the number of hours each patient receives and Griffen said not enough was done to advertise the change from using a nurse who consulted the program before determining the hours.






   

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