Lawmaker sees credibility gap in disabled care

Thursday, April 18, 2002 | 9:13 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- The chairwoman of a legislative study committee on the disabled says a credibility gap exists between the testimony of government agencies and those in the handicapped community.

Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas, said state and local agencies tell the committee that services are being provided.

But "the people who are disabled say it is awful and they are not getting the services," she said. Titus said an ombudsman may be needed to represent the disabled when they have problems with government agencies. That is one of the suggestions that will be considered when her committee makes its recommendations in late summer to be presented to the 2003 Legislature.

An example of the divergent testimony came Wednesday when Tina Gerber-Winn of the state Department of Human Resources told the committee that the state has made dramatic progress in allowing the disabled to receive services in their homes rather than sending them to institutions.

Gerber-Winn said Medicaid waivers allowing the services have increased by 22 percent for the physically disabled.

In February Stephen Gold, an attorney with the Public Interest Law Center in Philadelphia, told the committee that Nevada ranked lowest in the nation in providing home health care through Medicaid.

The state expended $1.38 per capita for home health care, while the national average was $8.31.

State Human Resources Director Mike Willden said a strategic plan for helping the disabled and the elderly should be completed before the end of the year.