内布拉斯加州地区法院驳回州政府部分撤诉请求：残障人士医疗补助评估interRAI诉讼继续推进
内布拉斯加州兰开斯特县地区法院在10月29日的命令中驳回了州政府要求部分撤诉的动议，使一起挑战州卫生与公众服务部使用interRAI评估系统决定残障人士资助的诉讼得以继续推进，相关消息于10月30日由内布拉斯加法律援助组织公布。
内布拉斯加法律援助组织代表原告尼古拉斯·贝西提起诉讼，内布拉斯加苹果籽组织、全国健康法律项目和科技正义组织共同参与。诉讼质疑州政府使用interRAI评估系统，决定智力与发育障碍人士获得的医疗补助居家与社区服务资助额度。
法院在命令中认定，本案不属于那种诉状本身就显示出“不可克服的救济障碍”的特殊情形，因此驳回了州政府要求撤掉贝西六项诉求的请求，同时解除了此前对其他诉求实施的中止。
法院的裁决并未判定诉讼的最终是非，只意味着贝西可以继续主张州政府的评估与资助程序违反宪法正当程序、内布拉斯加州行政程序法以及发育障碍服务法。案件下一步将进入实质审理阶段，评估系统是否调整，将直接影响该州众多依赖居家与社区服务的残障人士。
来源：GSM·美国
Lancaster County District Court Rejects State's Partial Dismissal Bid in interRAI Disability Assessment Case: Lawsuit Proceeds
Lincoln, Lancaster County, Nebraska — A Lancaster County District Court, in an October 29 order, rejected the state's motion to partially dismiss a lawsuit challenging the Department of Health and Human Services' use of the interRAI assessment system to determine funding for people with disabilities, allowing the case to proceed. Legal Aid of Nebraska publicized the ruling on October 30.
Legal Aid of Nebraska filed the suit on behalf of Nicholas Bessey, joined by Nebraska Appleseed, the National Health Law Program and TechTonic Justice. The case challenges the state's use of interRAI to determine funding for Medicaid home- and community-based services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
The court concluded the case is not the unusual one in which the allegations reveal an "insuperable bar to relief," denied the state's request to dismiss six of Bessey's claims, and lifted a stay previously imposed on the remaining claims.
The ruling does not decide the merits. It means Bessey may continue pursuing his claims that the state's assessment and funding process violates constitutional due process, the Nebraska Administrative Procedure Act and the Developmental Disabilities Services Act. The case now moves toward substantive proceedings, and whether the assessment system changes will directly affect the many Nebraskans who depend on home- and community-based services.
Source: GSM America
来源：GSM·美国（原文链接）
图片来源：图：Nebraska State Capitol, Lincoln, NE (cropped)。来源：Wikimedia Commons（Nanilluc，CC BY-SA 4.0）
