Pending Federal Legislation

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Dear Friend of ASO:

Information on Senate bill S. 528, THE MONEY FOLLOWS THE PERSON ACT OF 2005.Please contact your federal legislators to support this bill. Visit http://thomas.loc.gov and enter S. 528 for more information. FYI - please share.

Sincerely,

Barbara C. YavorcikPresidentAutism Society of Ohio701 S. Main St.Akron, OH 44311(330) 376-0211fax: (330) 376-1226email: askASO@...home: byavorcik@...web: www.autismohio.org2005 ASO Bi-Annual Conference"Reaching Beyond the Horizon - Challenging the Autism Spectrum"Friday and Saturday, October 14-15, 2005 Kingsgate Marriott in Cincinnati, Ohio Please note: This is provided for information purposes only. The ASO does not endorse or recommend any providers, methodologies or services. Providing this information should not be construed as an endorsement by the ASO, either explicit or impiled.

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HARKIN INTRODUCES BILL TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICES FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES - S. 528, THE MONEY FOLLOWS THE PERSON ACT OF 2005Legislation would allow individuals to receive care in their own homes andcommunities, rather than nursing homesWashington, D.C. Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today announced that heintroduced the Money Follows the Person Act of 2005. The legislation,co-sponsored by Senator Gordon (R-OR), would reimburse states for community based services foran individual currently living in a nursing home or similar facility."We have a Medicaid system in this country that is spending approximatelytwo-thirds of its dollars on institutional care and approximately one-thirdon community services. This bill is an important step toward switching thosenumbers around," said Harkin. "It is shameful that our federal dollars arebeing spent to segregate people, not integrate them."Under this legislation, the Medicaid money paid by states and the federalgovernment would follow the person with a disability from an institutioninto the community. The Act would provide 100 percent federal reimbursementfor the community services that an individual needs during the first yearafter they move out of a nursing home or similar facility. After that firstyear, the individual would remain in the community, and states would receivetheir regular Medicaid match for their services. "This bill would allow people with disabilities to have choices that we alltake for granted--to live with family and friends, not with strangers; tolive in a neighborhood, not a nursing home or institution," Harkin said."Federal Medicaid policy should reflect the consensus that Americans withdisabilities should have an equal opportunity to contribute to ourcommunities and participate in our society as full citizens."http://harkin.senate.gov/news.cfm?id=232934