‘Prisoners’ in their homes

    The state has systematically deprived many poor, severely disabled New Yorkers of wheelchairs and other medically necessary equipment, violating state and federal regulations in its pursuit of the bottom line, according to a report released by the State Assembly.

    “Department of Health uses and misuses legal and bureaucratic means to unfairly prevent people with severe disabilities from getting equipment they should have,” the report states.

    The 48-page document examines the state’s processing of Medicaid claims for medical equipment, which includes everything from wheelchairs and beds to lifts and breathing apparatus. Through personal anecdotes and data analysis, the report catalogs how the department frustrated and discouraged Medicaid recipients and their physicians by:

    • Denying requests “deemed medically necessary by physicians and treating practitioners.”

    • Delaying responses for months by demanding redundant, unnecessary or unreasonable information.

    “New York State has a responsibility to care for its neediest citizens,” said Assemblyman Sam Hoyt, D-Buffalo, who helped put out the report. “They’re getting the runaround. . . . Clearly, the DOH regulations aren’t being followed, and it’s taking too long to provide what these people need to survive.”

    “It is not uncommon in Western New York to talk about the big joke - the 18-month application,” said Marge Gustas, a paralegal who has worked with the project from its beginning. “All that time, somebody is doing without some piece of medical equipment that was medically necessary.”

Isn’t this the norm when dealing with the government, not only in Erie county but NY State…. I wonder how many jobs Hoyt and his minions have created to keep this bureaucracy running and growing? More people does not cure a problem like this. Less people, less paperwork, fewer forms and a computer system that is user friendly can cure this.

Problem #1 with government run programs is the over abundance of people that create more paperwork and forms to justify their jobs. Bigger is not better. Hoyt and the Democrats in Erie county refuse to consolidate departments and offices, just look at what they did with the Charter Review. Any streamlining of government offices was thrown out.

It is not their job to create jobs. I can’t wait to read how they want to solve this, guranteed it is more people.