LINCOLN — A proposal from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services for changes to a Medicaid waiver allowing aging Nebraskans and those with a disability to remain at home is causing panic for some families and caregivers.

The 238-page proposal to the state’s Aged and Disabled Waiver would limit the need-determined reimbursable hours of caregivers from a current cap of 112 hours to 70. Of those hours, a paid live-in family caregiver could be reimbursed up to 40 hours, a part of the program with no current cap.

The annual costs that Medicaid would reimburse under the waiver would also be limited based on changes in the yearly costs of nursing home care statewide.

“If they truly do this, it’s going to be pretty devastating to our family,” said Anna Keyzer of Lincoln, who has utilized the payments for up to 112 weekly hours to help afford to care for her 21-year-old son, Simon. “I don’t know how anyone would suddenly lose 72 hours’ worth of a paid job and be OK.”

Yearly nursing home costs were $92,438 in the last fiscal year, which ended June 30. Families would need an administrative review once costs reach 150% of the annual cost ($138,657), and families could be paid as much as 175% of the cost of that care ($161,767) if they pass a clinical review from a DHHS team.

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