Questions surround Indiana’s new Medicaid assessment tool Indiana officials have paused Medicaid waiver denials after a new assessment tool led to an increase in rejections for families seeking home-based care. The update follows an ongoing investigation by Indiana’s I-Team into families l osing access to Medicaid waivers. The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration, known as FSSA, implemented the new assessment tool earlier this year to determine if residents qualify for waiver services. The waivers allow people with disabilities and their families to receive therapies, day programs, and respite care. This support helps them stay in their homes instead of moving into nursing homes or other facilities. The Arc of Indiana, a statewide nonprofit that advocates for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, is filing a public records request to learn more about how the tool functions. The nonprofit’s chief legal officer, Tom Crishon, said Thursday: “I think ultimately we need transparency, not just how the information gets into the assessment, but how that information comes out the other side as a ‘yes’ and ‘no’ eligibility decision. You know, with our advocacy network, we’re getting numerous calls about this process, and we need to properly understand it so we can educate the public, so they understand what’s going on as well.” The I-Team contacted the FSSA for comment, but the agency has not yet responded. This story was created from a script aired on Circle City Broadcasting. ...read more read less