NCCDD Action Needed:

Legislative Changes to LME/MCO

Local Governance Structure

Links to Action
Note from your Policy Analyst
Background and Current Status of LME/MCO Governance
Take Action
Dear Members,

The North Carolina General Assembly is working on a new law to change the way the Executive Boards of the Local Management Entities and Managed Care Organizations (LME/MCOs) will be structured under the new Innovations/1915(b)(c) Waiver. 

Holly Riddle, NCCDD Executive Director, has been part of a legislative subcommittee for the past 5 months to address this issue.  She and the other members have worked hard to be sure that indivdiuals and family members are adequately represented on the Boards that govern the services they receive.  Recent changes to H1075/S875 could reduce representation and limit the input and voices of indivduals as the Innovations Waiver is implemented statewide.

Representatives and Senators need to hear from you NOW! Please see the details below on how you can TAKE ACTION!

 

Beth Stalvey, Policy Analyst
North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities

 
If you would like to talk through these topics to better understand them, please give me a call  404-319-0560  -Beth

Background and Current Status on LME/MCO Governance 

 

"Governance" refers to a specific state law (state statute 122c) that describes the Local Management Entity (LME) Board structure. The LME Board provides direction and oversight for the business of delivering long term services and supports to individuals with disabilities and their families. The current law tells each LME how many members to have on the board, who can appoint them, and what representation they should have.

 

House Bill 1075 outlined a new LME/MCO Board structure to be part of the new Innovations/1915(b)(c) statewide waiver.  After much input from consumer and advocacy groups, House Bill 1075 directed that the LME Board include multiple individuals with disabilities and family members as voting members. H1075 passed the House earlier this month.

 

The Senate Committee added new language to the Bill that would create a new category of oversight group -- a behavioral health authority. Such an authority could borrow money and buy or sell property, would have no limits on executive salaries and would not be required to have any advocacy group members on its board. The waiver program is intended to combine the management of Medicaid and state funds at the community level to reduce costs and add more accountability. With this new language, MCOs would operate with fewer restrictions on how they manage the mental-health, developmental-disability and substance-abuse providers and services they oversee.(Richard Craver, WINSTON-SALEM JOURNAL, 6/18/12).

 

Steps to Passing this Bill:

1) H1075 passed the House

2) H1075/S875 passed Senate Subcommittee on Mental Health and Youth Services (with new language)

3) S875 has been referred to Senate Rules and Operations of the Senate (to be discussed June 20)

**Bill must pass this Committee and go to Full Senate for vote.

**If passed by Senate, it would go to Conference Committee of House and Senate members to discuss differences in the two versions.

 

What Can You Do?  

 

The timeline is short! Council members should contact your Senators and Representatives to tell them your thoughts on the issue of LME/MCO Governance.

 

Three important issues are:

 

1) The intent of the General Assembly's state directed, public services delivery structure must be maintained in any statutory changes to 122C-118.1 that outlines the structure of LME/MCO Governing Boards that will operate the new statewide 1915(b)(c) waiver.

 

2)  If state leaders intend for the system to remain public, the local governing boards should be structured to represent the public they serve. This includes adequate representation from individuals and family members who would access the long term supports and services system.  Adequate is not just one person, but multiple representatives-- Ideally, as many as one-third of the entire Board.  Reasonable accomadation should be provided to allow individuals with disabilities and family members to participate.

 

3) The new Bill language added in the Senate does not include adequate representation of indivdiuals with disabilties and family members and may threaten the design of a public system.

 

WHO TO CONTACT:

 

Representative Dollar (House Bill Sponsor)

919-715-0795 or nelson.dollar@ncleg.net

 

Representative Burr (House Bill Sponsor)

919-733-5908 or justin.burr@ncleg.net

 

Represenative Bell (House Bill Co-Sponsor)

919-733-5863 or larry.bell@ncleg.net

 

Represenative Insko (House Bill Co-Sponsor; NCCDD Council Member)

919-733-7208 or verla.insko@ncleg.net

 

Senator Hartsell (Senate Amendment Sponsor)

(919) 733-7223 or fletcher.hartsell@ncleg.net

 

Senator Apodaca (Chairman, Committee on Rules and Operations of Senate)

(919) 733-5745 or tom.apodaca@ncleg.net

 

 

 

 

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The NCCDD works to advance opportunities and services for the estimated 172,000 persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) in North Carolina. NCCDD is charged with creating systems change through grant awards, public policy, and advocacy guided by the core values of integration, productivity, inclusion, independence and self- determination set out in the Developmental Disabilities Bill of Rights and Assistance Act (P.L. 106-402).