Legislative Action Alert - US S1602

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Dear Friend of ASO:

Information on the recently introduced Senate Bill 1602 - Improving Long-Term Care Choices Act of 2005. Information on the bill follows my signature. The bill is currently in the Senate Finance Committee. Unfortunately neither DeWine or Voinovich are on this committee - but you can still take action by sending a message to the Chair of the Committee - Senator Grassley, or the Ranking Minority Member Senator Baucus - urging them to send the bill to the Senate for a vote (copying the OH senators). The link shown provides an email message that can be sent, information on how to send and more information about the bill. Additional information can be found at http://thomas.loc.gov/ by entering in S1602 for the bill number search.

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.org---------------------------------------

Ask the Senate for a Medicaid Option for Home- and Community-Based Services

http://capwiz.com/thearc/issues/alert/?alertid=8115311

BACKGROUND: Senators Grassley (R-IA), Evan Bayh (D-IN), and Hillary Clinton (D-NY) introduced the Improving Long-Term Care Choices Act of 2005, S. 1602. S. 1602 would give states the ability to add home- and community-based services (HCBS) to its Medicaid plan without the need to apply for a waiver.

Under this bill, a new option is created for states to provide services that are now available under the home- and community-based services waiver. If enacted, states would be allowed to provide these services to Medicaid eligible individuals WITHOUT needing to prove an individual actually requires a level of care provided in a hospital, nursing home, or an ICF/MR (intermediate care facility for people with mental retardation or related conditions). The bill also would require states to set up different and more stringent eligibility requirements for hospitals, nursing homes, and ICF/MRs, than for HCBS. Finally, states would no longer have to prove cost-neutrality for providing HCBS.

STATUS:

The Senate Finance Committee, chaired by Senator Grassley, has jurisdiction over S. 1602. If enacted, The Arc and United Cerebral Palsy would achieve a major legislative goal.

ACTION NEEDED:

Send an e-mail/letter to your Senator and ask that s/he support S. 1602. Click the link above and take action today!! http://capwiz.com/thearc/issues/alert/?alertid=8115311