Chronicle Editorial

Righting an obvious wrong
State officials must act swiftly and restore services to Iowans affected by changes to a program that left some elderly residents without vital in-home health care assistance.
     Last winter, the Iowa Department of Human Services (DHS) tweaked the eligibility criteria of the Elderly Waiver program to align more closely with federal standards. The changes booted some waiver recipients from the program and cut services like meal and medicine delivery, transportation and other in-home amenities for elderly residents. Essentially, the rug was pulled out from underneath these vulnerable individuals and left them with few options.
     Making the situation more frustrating is the fact that it could have been avoided. According to the DHS, a company named Telligen erred when it was contracted by the state to handle Elderly Waiver applications. Telligen used the wrong criteria to determine the eligibility of applicants, which led some elderly residents to receive services they didn’t actually qualify for.
     The DHS was correct in addressing Telligen’s mistake. Failing to do so would have jeopardized federal funding and possibly affected other services, which would only create more headaches. However, the agency shouldn’t have pulled Elderly Wavers from residents who were approved by Telligen. They weren’t duping the system and had no say in the matter, and they shouldn’t suffer the consequences.
     A proposal floated last week during a special meeting between DHS representatives and local officials offered an interesting solution: return services to citizens who got their Elderly Waivers pulled and apply the revised eligibility criteria to new applicants. Essentially, past recipients would be grandfathered into the system based on Telligen’s mistake.
     Nobody is criticizing the DHS for correcting Telligen’s error – it needed to be addressed and it was the right decision. However, waiver services should not have been pulled from those who previously qualified. The state must exhaust all efforts to restore Elderly Waivers to individuals who were adversely affected by Telligen’s mistake. Federal restrictions could make that difficult, but the Iowa DHS needs to address the issue as soon as possible.
     Societies are judged by how they take care of their most vulnerable individuals. The state failed elderly residents in this instance, and the mistake must be corrected at once.
 
Let the games begin
     A streak of rather unseasonably “brisk” August weather has been a nice reprieve from traditionally hot and humid temperatures. It’s reminiscent of autumn, which of course conjures thoughts of the upcoming fall sports season.
     Local athletes have been prepping feverishly for the 2015 season and it’s definitely a highly anticipated time for fans, parents and students alike. Football Fridays are back, but the gridiron isn’t the only place where local fans can catch some hot sports action – local volleyball and cross country teams are also rearing to go. No one knows where our local teams will end up at the end of the season, but it’s certainly going to be fun finding out throughout the fall.
     Please make sure to attend a few games this season and support our local athletes. They work hard honing their skills year round, and we should acknowledge that effort by cheering them on from the stands. Be it Hampton-Dumont, CAL, West Fork or AGWSR, get out there and show your support.
     As always, good luck and have a great fall season, athletes!