Save the Children and Their Therapy
Donation protected
Little Tesoros Therapy Services needs your help to keep 687 children in Texas from losing their pediatric therapy services, many of which are not getting paid timely from Texas Medicaid Managed Care Organizations (MCOs).
LTTS provides physical, occupational, and speech therapy services to over 687 children with disabilities from birth to 22 years old. We have served the greater Austin, TX area for 15 years, and employ 72 therapists and support staff. We are passionate about working with children and families so that they live their lives in abundance. We have watched our children grow and achieve dreams that others predicted were not possible. Unfortunately, due to recent difficulties in being paid for our services, our ability to care for medically fragile children is endangered. We are at a critical point where, without support, services to our children could be severely impacted or lost.
Medicaid changes in 2016 have created a perfect storm for Texas pediatric providers. Policy changes in May, the rollout of STAR Kids in November and Medicaid rate cuts implemented in December have hit providers with three key challenges: (1) delays in receiving authorization to treat patients, (2) not being reimbursed timely for treatment already provided and (3) an overall reduction in rates. For LTTS, the rate cuts alone create a projected loss of greater than $125,000 in 2017. A number of providers and patient families testified about these difficulties before the Texas Senate Finance Committee last Tuesday, January 31, 2017.
Little Tesoros has been working diligently for over a year to reduce the impact of these changes. We have worked with the MCOs to the highest levels but the issues remain unresolved. We have appealed to HHSC, appeared on local TV stations, testified at hearings and spoken directly with our legislators at the state and federal levels. Despite all our efforts, LTTS has had to do what many other therapy providers have done - cut benefits and pay. The State and the MCOs assure us that these issues will be resolved allowing LTTS to return to a steady state of operations.
Your contribution will help us bridge this gap by allowing us to pay our employees for the therapy they have already provided to children, but that we have not been paid for and to pay for operating costs so that we can continue to care for our patients until the authorization and reimbursement issues are resolved. Please take a look at the videos below and consider donating to allow us to continue serving these treasures in our care!
Click "View Campaign" Button below if viewing in email.
LTTS: Who We Are
As the largest independent pediatric therapy provider in Central Texas, we will continue to work tirelessly and fight hard to avoid closing our doors. But we need your help.
Contact Your Legislators
You can also make your voice heard by contacting your legislators. To find your senator or representative click or paste this link in your browser: http://www.fyi.legis.texas.gov/Home.aspx . Also please consider contacting State Senate Finance Committee Chair Jane Nelsen at (512) [phone redacted] and [email redacted]as.gov
and Speaker of the House Joe Strauss at (512) [phone redacted] and [email redacted]te.tx.us
LTTS provides physical, occupational, and speech therapy services to over 687 children with disabilities from birth to 22 years old. We have served the greater Austin, TX area for 15 years, and employ 72 therapists and support staff. We are passionate about working with children and families so that they live their lives in abundance. We have watched our children grow and achieve dreams that others predicted were not possible. Unfortunately, due to recent difficulties in being paid for our services, our ability to care for medically fragile children is endangered. We are at a critical point where, without support, services to our children could be severely impacted or lost.
Medicaid changes in 2016 have created a perfect storm for Texas pediatric providers. Policy changes in May, the rollout of STAR Kids in November and Medicaid rate cuts implemented in December have hit providers with three key challenges: (1) delays in receiving authorization to treat patients, (2) not being reimbursed timely for treatment already provided and (3) an overall reduction in rates. For LTTS, the rate cuts alone create a projected loss of greater than $125,000 in 2017. A number of providers and patient families testified about these difficulties before the Texas Senate Finance Committee last Tuesday, January 31, 2017.
Little Tesoros has been working diligently for over a year to reduce the impact of these changes. We have worked with the MCOs to the highest levels but the issues remain unresolved. We have appealed to HHSC, appeared on local TV stations, testified at hearings and spoken directly with our legislators at the state and federal levels. Despite all our efforts, LTTS has had to do what many other therapy providers have done - cut benefits and pay. The State and the MCOs assure us that these issues will be resolved allowing LTTS to return to a steady state of operations.
Your contribution will help us bridge this gap by allowing us to pay our employees for the therapy they have already provided to children, but that we have not been paid for and to pay for operating costs so that we can continue to care for our patients until the authorization and reimbursement issues are resolved. Please take a look at the videos below and consider donating to allow us to continue serving these treasures in our care!
Click "View Campaign" Button below if viewing in email.
LTTS: Who We Are
As the largest independent pediatric therapy provider in Central Texas, we will continue to work tirelessly and fight hard to avoid closing our doors. But we need your help.
Contact Your Legislators
You can also make your voice heard by contacting your legislators. To find your senator or representative click or paste this link in your browser: http://www.fyi.legis.texas.gov/Home.aspx . Also please consider contacting State Senate Finance Committee Chair Jane Nelsen at (512) [phone redacted] and [email redacted]as.gov
and Speaker of the House Joe Strauss at (512) [phone redacted] and [email redacted]te.tx.us
Organizer
Little Tesoros Therapy Services
Organizer
Austin, TX