Louisiana HCBS Waiting List Understated

See this interesting article, which begins:

The chairman of an advocacy group says state health officials have been intentionally low-balling the size of the waiting list of developmentally disabled people seeking home and community services.

The state's health chief said Friday that two sets of numbers are kept, and the lower number -- "a best estimate on who's really out there" -- is the one used publicly.

There's a big difference between the two.

The actual number of people who have requested to be put on the waiting list for services is 13,789, according to the latest Department of Health and Hospitals report. The DHH estimate of the more-realistic number is 7,457.

"I think it's very disconcerting and actually upsetting to learn the actual numbers on the list," said Kay Marcel, president of the state Developmental Disabilities Council.