Re: *SPAM (low): Re: A Yippeeeee Moment

[Guest guest]

Yes, and I should have taken time to explain that at well.

About 70 letters have been sent out to adults giving them the opportunity to

apply for waiver funded services. They will be able to choose between the

Adult Home-Based Support Services program or Community Integrated Living

Services (CILA).

This money comes from " attrition " . Someone has left services. Obviously most

often that means they died, though it can mean that they moved out of state.

OR maybe their disabilities disappeared. (I wonder if that has EVER

happened.)

Most years the DD budget has been increased enough to enroll between 100 and

200 MORE people per year into CILA services. This year the state (read

Governor's office) has said that the budget is so bad that they can't even

fill ALL the openings that occur via attrition. So most of that funding is

getting used up by people in dramatically bad situations, homelessness,

their 88 year old mom just died, etc.

This 70 is outside of that group.

So we have good news that there is some new enrollment. But, the bad news is

that this is a total of only adults and children with a waiting list of

15,000.

Charlotte

_____

From: IPADDUnite [mailto:IPADDUnite ] On

Behalf Of ELLEN BRONFELD

Sent: Tuesday, November 25, 2008 9:00 PM

IPADDUnite

Subject: *SPAM (low): Re: A Yippeeeee Moment

I also heard from a friend who has an adult on the waiting list and she too

got a letter to apply for funding...so, obviously there has been some money

released for adults as well.

Ellen

Ellen Garber Bronfeld

egskbsbcglobal (DOT) <mailto:egskb%40sbcglobal.net> net

A Yippeeeee Moment

Oh, !

This is a YIPPEEEEE moment!

I knew that the state was about to sent out " invitations to apply " to 180

families whose children were included in the PUNS database.

I just heard yesterday that the letters had been mailed.

The funding is from the " Dedicated Fund " created by Medicaid Match returning

to the State from the Feds.

I'm a little zipped at the end of the day here. So I hope I'm making sense.

Do you all remember a year and a half ago when about 700 children were

transferred from the old " 72D " program into the Children's Home-Based

Support Services Program?

72D was ALL Illinois State Tax dollars. Because the Children' Home-Based

Support Services program is part of a federal Medicaid Waiver, the Feds now

pay half that cost by reimbursing Illinois 50 cents for every dollar spent.

Illinois advocates fought. and won. a commitment from the state to use that

returning money for NEW enrollment in the Children's Home-Based Support

Services Program. Your son will now reap the rewards of that hard work.

So in the midst of all the dire problems that we face, this is a great

opportunity to do a little happy dance.

Celebrate!

Charlotte

[Guest guest]

Charlotte:

I am thrilled for the 70 families who will now have funding. That is wonderful

news!

Here is my question to you and to the state:

Why is this new group of 70 being offered the option of CILA when I was told

that we could only get Home Based funding last year, in spite of the fact that

Noah would love to move out? I know we should be grateful for the funding we

have (and believe me, we are) but it appears that Noah has little chance of

going beyond living in our home. That is clearly not acceptable to us, long

term, but more importantly, it is not what he really wants and needs.

Ellen

Ellen Garber Bronfeld

egskb@...

A Yippeeeee Moment

Oh, !

This is a YIPPEEEEE moment!

I knew that the state was about to sent out " invitations to apply " to 180

families whose children were included in the PUNS database.

I just heard yesterday that the letters had been mailed.

The funding is from the " Dedicated Fund " created by Medicaid Match returning

to the State from the Feds.

I'm a little zipped at the end of the day here. So I hope I'm making sense.

Do you all remember a year and a half ago when about 700 children were

transferred from the old " 72D " program into the Children's Home-Based

Support Services Program?

72D was ALL Illinois State Tax dollars. Because the Children' Home-Based

Support Services program is part of a federal Medicaid Waiver, the Feds now

pay half that cost by reimbursing Illinois 50 cents for every dollar spent.

Illinois advocates fought. and won. a commitment from the state to use that

returning money for NEW enrollment in the Children's Home-Based Support

Services Program. Your son will now reap the rewards of that hard work.

So in the midst of all the dire problems that we face, this is a great

opportunity to do a little happy dance.

Celebrate!

Charlotte