Cansler Strikes Again
2011-06-09 - by
Lobbyist turned Cabinet Secretary (and No-Bid-Contract-Awarder) Lanier Cansler has landed himself back in court. Sued for the third time.
What’s got Cansler in a mess this time is his predilection for nursing homes – he seems to be about the only person in North Carolina who thinks it’s better to put an elderly person in a state funded institution than to help them stay out.
And that’s the crux of the lawsuit: Cansler’s latest plan to put elderly Medicaid patients into nursing homes.
For years, under state law Medicaid patients have two choices: To receive limited care in their homes. Or to go into an institution. Home care is cheaper. And if you’ve ever been inside a state-funded (or under-funded) nursing home, well, you’ve figured out it’s a lifestyle to be avoided as long as possible.
At least that’s how most people feel except Lanier Cansler – who back in his lobbyist days worked for the ‘Nursing Homes Association.’ Cansler’s new plan is breathtakingly simple. First, he made it easier for Medicaid patients to get into institutions. Then he started cancelling the same patients’ home care. For instance, on June 1st he cancelled home care to 4,000 handicapped patients. Here’re a handful of the patients suing Cansler:
- Henry Pashby. Home: Forest City. Age 53. Illness: Multiple Sclerosis. Cansler cancelled his one hour of home care a day.
- Annie Baxley. St. Pauls. Age 69. Lung cancer. Cansler cancelled her one hour of home care a day.
- Margaret Drew. Charlotte. Age 63. Heart disease.
- Melissa Gabijan. Raeford. Age 28. Traumatic brain injury.
- Michael Hunter. Mooresville. Age 35. Cerebral Palsy.
- Lucretia Moore. Leland. Age 48. Bipolar disorder.
- James Moore. Dunn. Age 70. Cancer.
Even odder, Cansler’s own department had ruled – earlier – each of these patients did need the care they were getting. In fact, the reviews of the patients medical needs were done by another former Cansler client. Who he awarded a no bid contract.
So here’s how health care policy is set in state government: 1) Make a lobbyist for nursing homes a Cabinet Secretary; 2) He makes it easier for patients to get into nursing homes; 3) He cancels the same patients less expensive home care; 4) Then fussles the press by saying the patients didn’t need care.
By the way, Cansler controls an $18 billion dollar budget.
Cansler Strikes Again
2011-06-09/
Lobbyist turned Cabinet Secretary (and No-Bid-Contract-Awarder) Lanier Cansler has landed himself back in court. Sued for the third time.
What’s got Cansler in a mess this time is his predilection for nursing homes – he seems to be about the only person in North Carolina who thinks it’s better to put an elderly person in a state funded institution than to help them stay out.
And that’s the crux of the lawsuit: Cansler’s latest plan to put elderly Medicaid patients into nursing homes.
For years, under state law Medicaid patients have two choices: To receive limited care in their homes. Or to go into an institution. Home care is cheaper. And if you’ve ever been inside a state-funded (or under-funded) nursing home, well, you’ve figured out it’s a lifestyle to be avoided as long as possible.
At least that’s how most people feel except Lanier Cansler – who back in his lobbyist days worked for the ‘Nursing Homes Association.’ Cansler’s new plan is breathtakingly simple. First, he made it easier for Medicaid patients to get into institutions. Then he started cancelling the same patients’ home care. For instance, on June 1st he cancelled home care to 4,000 handicapped patients. Here’re a handful of the patients suing Cansler:
- Henry Pashby. Home: Forest City. Age 53. Illness: Multiple Sclerosis. Cansler cancelled his one hour of home care a day.
- Annie Baxley. St. Pauls. Age 69. Lung cancer. Cansler cancelled her one hour of home care a day.
- Margaret Drew. Charlotte. Age 63. Heart disease.
- Melissa Gabijan. Raeford. Age 28. Traumatic brain injury.
- Michael Hunter. Mooresville. Age 35. Cerebral Palsy.
- Lucretia Moore. Leland. Age 48. Bipolar disorder.
- James Moore. Dunn. Age 70. Cancer.
Even odder, Cansler’s own department had ruled – earlier – each of these patients did need the care they were getting. In fact, the reviews of the patients medical needs were done by another former Cansler client. Who he awarded a no bid contract.
So here’s how health care policy is set in state government: 1) Make a lobbyist for nursing homes a Cabinet Secretary; 2) He makes it easier for patients to get into nursing homes; 3) He cancels the same patients less expensive home care; 4) Then fussles the press by saying the patients didn’t need care.
By the way, Cansler controls an $18 billion dollar budget.