9-24-14 fdl brooke industries concerned about federal rule

Fond du Lac’s Brooke Industries wants answers on how a new federal rule would impact them.  Counseling Services coordinator at Brooke, Sue Grich,  tells WFDL news a new federal ruling encourages states to use funds from Medicaid to take workers out of centers and place them in community jobs.  “Its a very big concern,  Grich said.  “I think one of the reasons we are consistently being concerned and having some additional anxiety about this is because we’re not getting the answers that we need.”   Grich says a one size fits all approach is not realistic.  The concern is that facility based work centers like Brooke may no longer meet the definition of a community work setting.  “We have that same desire for our individuals to be able to achieve their highest level of independence both vocationally and personally.  But to think that any community could absorb the needs of our consumers is really highly unrealistic,”  Grich said.  A group of state senators, including Fond du Lac’s Rick Gudex have signed a letter sent to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services secretary asking the waiver proposal be delayed.  DHS will submit the waiver renewal proposal to the Federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on October 2nd.

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