Arkansas Department of Human Services v. Ledgerwood

The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the circuit court granting a motion for temporary restraining order (TRO) in favor of Appellees, who sought a declaratory judgment challenging the validity of the Arkansas Department of Human Services’ (DHS) new Resource Utilization Groups system rule. Appellees, low-income individuals with profound physical disabilities who received services through a program called Attendant Care, alleged that the switch from nurses’ assessments to to a computer algorithm reduced their attendant care hours by an average of forty-three percent and that such a reduction would be insufficient to meet their care needs. The circuit court concluded that Appellees demonstrated a likelihood of success on the merits and temporarily enjoined DHS from reducing their attendant-care hours. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding (1) the circuit court properly found irreparable harm in this case; (2) the circuit court did not abuse its discretion in finding that Appellees demonstrated a likelihood of success on the merits; and (3) Appellees were not required to exhaust their administrative remedies before seeking a declaratory order from the court. View "Arkansas Department of Human Services v. Ledgerwood" on Justia Law