Colorado violating Medicaid mandate by not providing mental health services to children, lawsuit alleges

Colorado is violating a Medicaid Act mandate by not providing definite intelligence wellness services to eligible children astatine location oregon successful their community, which successful immoderate cases has led to teenagers experiencing “unnecessary institutionalization,” a national suit filed Friday alleges.

The suit was filed successful U.S. District Court of Colorado against Kim Bimestefer, the caput of the authorities Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, connected behalf of 3 unnamed teenagers and their families, including 1 with a past of termination attempts and self-harm who has been successful a metro Denver exigency country for 2 months.

“Colorado has been ignoring their work to supply intelligence wellness services to the children of Colorado for excessively long,” lawyer Robert H. Farley Jr. said successful a statement. “We anticipation this suit volition unit the authorities to find a solution for providing attraction to each of Colorado’s children and younker who request it.”

The suit is besides seeking class-action presumption connected the behalf of radical nether the property of 21 who suffice for Medicaid and person been diagnosed with intelligence wellness oregon behavioral disorders and who person been recommended to person Intensive Home and Community-based services.

The plaintiffs successful the suit see a 16-year-old miss who has been successful an exigency country since July 1 due to the fact that the authorities has been incapable to find a semipermanent residential programme successful the authorities to assistance her get treatment. Another is simply a 13-year-old lad who has been hospitalized since March 9, according to the quality release.

The 3rd is simply a 13-year-old miss who is astatine home, but needs servers to assistance with her behavioral disorders. The teen has been successful a psychiatric infirmary 3 times since March 22.