IL SR0342

Governor Rauner's administration announced plans on February 18, 2015 to raise the Determination of Need (DNS) Assessment score minimum threshold from 29 to 37 to reduce costs in home and community care programs.

The proposed change would immediately eliminate 10,000 people with disabilities from the Home Services Program and prevent 16,000 seniors from becoming eligible for Medicaid waiver services, with 21,000 more eliminated in reassessment within one year.

The Illinois Department of Human Services, Department on Aging, and Department of Healthcare and Family Services announced the change without input from disability advocates or elderly advocates.

Each person with disabilities in Home Services saves Illinois Medicaid at least $17,000 annually, and each senior in the Community Care Program saves approximately $24,000 annually compared to nursing home care.

The Senate opposes the DNS score threshold change and urges the Governor and Department of Human Services to withdraw plans to amend the Medicaid State plan based on this scoring requirement.