Reeves County Meals on Wheels continues to roll
County took on contract for organization
The Reeves County Meals on Wheels program will continue after Reeves County commissioners approved a new contract which funds the program for a year.
The previous contact, handled by the Community Council of Reeves County, ended Friday and Reeves County took over Saturday. The contract was negotiated with the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services and will only last a year.
Reeves County Commissioner Rojelio "Roy" Alvarado said the 115 residents served by the program would not have to wait long to get their meals.
“We started (Monday),” Alvarado said.
The future of Meals on Wheels in Reeves County was in jeopardy after the CCRC voted on July 14 to relinquish four of their contracts worth more than $1.6 million after the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs conducted an audit in April and May. The TDHCA cited the CCRC for possible fraudulent activities and financial mismanagement.
The Meals on Wheels contract will not affect the Reeves County budget because DADS will reimburse the county for almost all of the expenses.
“(DADS) pay almost 100 percent,” Alvarado said.
Allison Lowery, a spokeswoman for DADS, said the department and the county—or whoever enters in a contract—first forms a budget that would show the cost of food and any overhead costs. Once a budget is established, the county will bill DADS monthly, who will then reimburse the county.
It is possible to run the program without the assistance of DADS, but Lowery said ideally, it is the best plan in order to obtain reimbursement.
“…If a provider is interested in getting reimbursed with federal Medicaid dollars, they would need to contract DADS,” Lowery said.
Alvarado said as of right now, he was not sure if the county will keep the Meals on Wheels program or if they would be looking for another organization to take the contract when the year is up.
“It’s hard to decide at this point,” he said.
