, Please click on the link below and tell your story to support home and
community-based services to not be assigned to exclude others from living in
their own home. I believe this is important and a good thing to do at
Christmas as those of us who have escaped nursing homes and realize how
difficult it is to live in a nursing home without privacy, personal caregivers
andthe ability to engage in our communities and see our families.
I have a large family but only a few people came to the nursing home. Even
if you have not lived in a nursing home I know you realize the benefits of
home and community-based services. There are over 3000 waiting to get
services. In Kansas 200-400,000,000 is being cut in services. It's a good idea
to write your senators and representatives also. If you feel they don't
listen, at least you have tried to voice your thoughts. Your comments may help
to convince our legislators to understand that the institutional bias to
institutions should not be continued.
Please write state and federal legislators about not supporting block
grants to the states, but to support matching grants that states have always
received. Block grants will devastate home and community-based services.
will rob I only worked once you and as you based on the record with Alfonzo
and I wish you you are a hormone work to do almost stood soon as you you
you you you you you you you will they find I'm getting help and utility for
Clinton to quit this will go insane if I get the hundred $30m/used to work
what you use sleepless for a vote you you you you you
Hopefully all states are sending documentation that legislators how HCBS
saves money for the state through their advocacy groups you can contact your
centers for Independent living to get this documentation..
Just my thoughts,
thank you,
Dana
save this and and please do this after your Christmas activities!.
Wishing you all a Merry Christmas
During the holiday season we can't help but think about those who aren't
able
to be at home with their families or who won't enjoy the simple pleasures
of
the holidays because they are stuck in an institution. This year, many of
us
expected that, as the holiday season arrived, we would be working to
address
the institutional bias by urging our states to select the Community First
Choice (CFC) Option or serving on CFC Development and Implementation
Councils.
Unfortunately, even though the Community First Choice Option became
available
to states on October 1st, nearly three months later, CMS still hasn't
released the final rules. The final CFC rules have been delayed, in part,
because of comments made against CMS's proposed rules about the definition
of
community in 1915(c) waivers. In those rules, CMS proposed ways to better
define community, so that certain settings couldn't be funded using
1915(c)
home and community based services waivers. There are similar provisions in
the CFC rules. Under the proposed rules, cottages on the grounds of public
and private institutions, segregated facilities housing only people with a
specific disability, and assisted living (in certain cases) wouldn't be
eligible for HCBS waiver funding.
ADAPT and other advocates were pleased with the proposed rules.
Unfortunately
others opposed this policy. CMS heard loudly from those who profit from the
segregation of our people, those who oppose our efforts to promote the full
integration of people with disabilities, and those that want to maintain
the
status quo. This included 14 state Medicaid directors.
Now, CMS and the Obama administration need to hear from us!
We need to tell them that they have waited long enough to issue the final
rules implementing the Community First Choice Option!
They need to hear that we support a STRONG definition of community that
distinguishes between REAL integration and segregated settings
masquerading as
community!
Using this link (http://ly.adapt.org/cms), send emails to CMS and the White
House telling them that it's time they release these rules! You are sending
email directly to the new CMS Administrator, key staff at HHS, and the
White
House.
Feel free to personalize your message. You can share your own story, talk
about the importance of freedom, or point out that as everyone else
celebrates
the holidays, Americans with disabilities and older Americans remain
needlessly stuck in nursing facilities, intermediate care facilities and
institutions for mental disease because CMS hasn't got the job done.
Whether
it's wonky or personal, SEND A MESSAGE NOW! Then forward this email to
other
folks and urge them to take action too!
We wish the best to you during this season of many holidays and thank you
for
working to end the institutional bias all year long!
Together, we will FREE OUR PEOPLE!
- The ADAPT Community
NATIONAL ADAPT MAILING LIST - Adapt Community Choice Act List
http://www.adapt.org
