TRANSITION TO THE NEW FFS

With the transition to the Fee For Service which is taking hold, there are issues with interruptions of services from the tedious procedures now in place.  Those who had services for years have programs put on hold until all the transition paperwork goes through levels of signatures and approvals.  Many workers are new to the agencies and services as many others who worked for these agencies for years have terminated their positions and moved on.  Some complaints have been: “too much work for too little pay”.

There unfortunately are many paperwork mistakes as it goes along it’s journey to the top of the approval chain.  There is also much misinformation even by the new Fiscal Intermediary Agency staff who do not seem to relay information correctly.  I find myself calling at least 3 times to see if all the customer service representatives tell the same story.  Initiation dates are picked, but do not come about due to errors or approvals holding up the process.  And, just when you need a particular someone, they are out on some sort of leave or vacation; not to mention the endless meetings and conferences they attend that absorbs them for the day. 

Self-hiring is not an easy process.  There are many requirements now and the knowledge of the process is lacking on everyone’s part.  Also the many channels to go through is a tiring maze to get through.  It is understandable why you are met with the answering service that recommends you leave your phone number so they can get back to you at their leisure, not yours.  And, there are those times you wait and wait, days sometimes, with no return call.  What is going on?  They are very busy.  It’s a busy State.  Too many are in need of services is the problem and a more complicated process to get what is needed.

Because of the nitty-gritty involved at 15 minute accounting intervals, many agencies giving services are overwhelmed by the demands.  There is too much work and too much accountability by the minute.  More time is needed to do paperwork and less with paying attention to those in need. 

Unfortunately, what I am seeing is many workers are being laid off from these agencies that serve the disabled population, even those professionals at top levels.  On top of that, many workers are terminating their employment and possibly due to their work-load increasing on top of already being overwhelmed with too much work.  They are mentally exhausted and fatigued and don’t have time for their own private lives because of it.  There is not enough time for them to unwind.

There is word that agencies are shutting down because they can not adjust to the new changes nor can they afford to run their business anymore.  While many other agencies are being developed, there are stories afloat of shortfalls to the disabled clients with improper care and negligence issues; an example is feeding Jello for breakfast to a client.

Many agencies, some “for profit” are cutting services to the clients to pad their profit margin to keep themselves prosperous.  This is taking a big risk with lives they are responsible for.  There are fewer measures for safety, supervision, cleanliness, and care for those that need it most, all in the name of profit and prosperity.

The government has to keep a watchful eye on any negligence that comes about due to what the agencies are doing that is a result of the changes that appear to be related to the transition to the Fee For Service implementation.  We have to be strong advocates for our disabled children and those who are without a voice and very vulnerable.