N.J. Probes Doctor's Treatment of Disabled

TRENTON, N.J. -- A longtime doctor and nurse practitioner at a New Jersey-run residential center for the developmentally disabled are under investigation for allegedly conducting research on residents without agency permission.
Dr. Philip May and his wife, Robin Davidson May, of Oxford, have been accused of giving vitamin D supplements to residents of the Hunterdon Development Center in northwestern New Jersey as part of unapproved research, the state Department of Human Services said.

Before Angry Crowd, N.J. Health Services Official Says Vineland Center Will Close

VINELAND, N.J. — State Department of Human Services Commissioner Jennifer Velez defended the proposed closing of the Vineland Developmental Center on Tuesday, testifying before a hostile crowd at a public hearing on the issue.
Velez had to stop her testimony a few times as people in the crowd booed her, made catcalls and sometimes shouted "liar."

HMOs Await Medicaid Recipients in N.J.

I'm probably in the minority, but I don't believe that government has the right to tell people what doctors they can and can't see. Perhaps that's why the Medicaid Reform committee in New York State and others are recommending the Patient-Centered Medical Home for individuals with developmental disability. This model of care ensure coordinated care with members of a health care team, which includes not only the doctors, specialists and other clinicians but the patients and their families.

TRENTON, N.J. — Not content to wait for the state budget to pass in late June, the Department of Human Services is alerting about 200,000 Medicaid recipients — many with developmental or mental disabilities — that they will be required to enroll in an HMO.
Gov. Chris Christie's administration anticipates the move will save about $41 million over the budget year that begins July 1.
But at least one advocacy group is worried people with complicated medical histories will be forced to find new doctors or new drugs, disrupting their care.