Update: Accessing Home Nursing Services for Children on Medicaid

On April 25, 2012, Nell Hahn, AC Director of Litigation and Systems Advocacy, presented arguments in federal court on behalf of children who are being denied Medicaid home nursing services or whose hours are being reduced, against the advice of their treating physicians, even though the children's conditions have not improved.  This hearing was one of many heard pursuant to Chisholm v. Hood, originally filed by the Advocacy Center in 1997.

Hahn argued that the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) is reducing or denying child home nursing services without proper notice regarding the reasons, and without sufficient information about the child's needs or family members' ability to meed those needs.  Additionally, Hahn argued that DHH's contractor often suggests personal care services instead of home nursing without informing parents and doctors about the limitations of these alternate services.

A decision should be available soon.

If you know any Medicaid-eligible children, especially those on the NOW waiver waiting list, who have faced cuts in home nursing services, please encourage them to call the Advocacy Center at 1-800-960-7705.