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MONTGOMERY, Ala. - A quadriplegic who was due to lose vital home care services provided by Medicaid this month has won a reprieve, along with up to 29 other severely disabled Alabamans.
The case of Nick Dupree, a college student in Mobile, has become the focus of a national protest over Bush administration policies affecting seriously disabled Medicaid recipients. Dupree mounted a campaign he dubbed "Nick's Crusade," and more than 1,900 people signed a petition at his Web site supporting the waiver.
Under Medicaid rules, Dupree's 16-hours-a-day home care would have ceased on his 21st birthday, Feb. 23. For Dupree, who has a rare form of muscular dystrophy and requires a ventilator, wheelchair and home nursing care, that could have meant having to move into a nursing home 195 miles away in Louisiana.
The waiver was announced Monday night. Dupree and his lawyer learned about it Tuesday. Dupree said he's pleased with the waiver but has no plans to rest.
"I plan to keep working on this the rest of my life to make sure that everyone can be safe and live in their community and not locked away in a faraway nursing home, but be involved in their community," he said.
More on NPR.
I've chatted online with Nick a few times. Nice guy. Glad the nice guys win sometimes.