The Lexington [KY] Herald-Leader reports that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has launched a civil rights investigation into Kentucky’s Medicaid program after a family complained about a reduction in home care services for a man with multiple disabilities.

Creasa Reed, who is herself disabled, filed the complaint after Medicaid cut her son’s budget for in-home care by 40 hours each week. The cuts left Reed and her husband responsible for providing 88 hours of care each week to their 31-year-old son, James, who is described as autistic, bipolar and mentally handicapped.

The Reeds say their son is in danger of being sent to an institution if home care services are not restored.

According to a June 12 letter that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights sent the Reeds, the office will be investigating whether state Medicaid officials acted appropriately when they cut James Reed’s services without considering that Creasa Reed has a disability and might not be able to provide 88 hours of care.

See also: Report from WKYT-TV

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 30th, 2009 at 7:13 am and is filed under Medicaid/Medicare, autism, bipolar, civil rights, families, law, parents. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.