COFAR blog

After a month and a half, it’s troubling that the Patrick administration is apparently still unable to locate cost records we requested pertaining to a single community-based group home contract.

I just received a letter from the Department of Developmental Services, dated September 14, that they are in the process of searching for the documents, which I had requested on July 29.   Meanwhile, the MassHealth Privacy Office in the Executive Office of Health and Human Services has been searching for these same records since August 9.

To recap, we’ve been trying to find out the sources of state funding for medical, nursing, clinical, and therapeutic services in a single DDS group home program run by the May Institute, a private provider.  We have a copy of a $1.2 million contract with the May Institute, which provides for 24-hour residential services under the program for 14 individuals in four residences in the DDS Central Middlesex Area.

The FY 2009 contract, however, only provides for direct care and limited nursing services for the 14 residents.  It does not mention medical, extended nursing, clinical or therapeutic services.

From what we’ve been able to determine, the administration has been basing its $20 million annual cost savings estimate in closing the Templeton, Monson, and Glavin Developmental Centers on a comparison of their budgets with the cost of community-based group contracts such as the May Institute contract.  But here’s the rub.  Our understanding is that the Templeton, Monson, and Glavin budgets do provide for medical, extended nursing, clinical, and therapeutic services. 

Naturally, the community system will appear to be less expensive than the developmental centers if certain community-based costs are not taken into account.  That’s why we want to find out exactly how much is being paid to fund those additional services to which the May Institute residents are reportedly entitled, and where that money is coming from.

By the way, we originally asked DDS on July 7 for the budgets of the Monson, Templeton, and Glavin Centers.   A month later, we received a one-page document from the department with single, line-item amounts representing the total annual spending for each facility.  There was no budgetary breakdown whatsoever for the facilities.

We appealed to the state’s Public Records Division for help, explaining that a budget of a state facility involves more than just a single line item.  As a result, I received a second letter from DDS, also dated September 14, stating that the department was in the process of searching for the “additional (budgetary breakdown) information” I had requested. 

I guess DDS considers a budget and a “budgetary breakdown” to be entirely separate concepts.  Stay tuned.