Minnesota backpedals on incontinence program

SAINT PAUL, Minn. - Minnesota's Department of Human Services has tabled its plan to implement a preferred provider program for incontinence supplies after MAMES was granted a temporary restraining order on Aug. 24, according to a press release. The program, which was opposed by medical suppliers, disability advocates and the governor, would have awarded a single contract to provide incontinence supplies to Medicaid beneficiaries. “This program posed a mortal risk to dozens of Minnesota small businesses, and the patients they serve,” said Rose Schafhauser, MAMES's executive director, in a release. “14,000 Minnesotans rely upon the incontinence benefit to maintain their independence. Without high-quality products that fit well, many patients are afraid to leave their homes.”