Join the Medicaid Debate, Challenge Governors

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Subject: Join the Medicaid Debate, Challenge Governors>> "Join the Medicaid Debate, Challenge Governors">> [A discussion by Steve Gold follows the Bob Kafka> statement.]>> Bob Kafka of ADAPT, bkafka@..., writes:>> Dear JFA Supporters:>> If Not Now! When? Medicaid Reform in the 109th> Congress!!!!!!>> The Community First Resolution the Governors will be> considering at the National Governors Assn (NGA) Winter> Conference (attached) in DC February 2005 will have major> implications for the future of Medicaid in our country.> What the NGA supports/opposes will influence Congress and> the Bush Administration.>> Governor Rendell of Pennsylvania has introduced the> resolution that has the support of ADAPT and other national> advocacy groups in the country. ADAPT asks for all national> organizations to support the Community First Resolution.>> It is important that all the Governors support the> Community First! Resolution and the principle of the ADA's> "most integrated setting.">> Please contact or have your members contact their> Governor's office and ask for their support of the> Community First! Resolution.>> Summary of the Community First Resolution>> 1. Support for Federal legislation to end the institutional> bias in the long term care system;> 2. Implementation of the Olmstead decision so no individual> is forced to live in a nursing home or other institution> because of the lack of home and community services;> 3. Medicaid reform should not result in block granting or> losing any of the current Medicaid protections>> Happy New Year>> For an Institution Free America,>> The ADAPT Community>> ADAPT National Action> February 26th-March 2nd> Washington, DC>> FOR INFO: 512/442-0252 or 303/733-9324>> =====================>> Steve Gold, stevegoldada@..., writes:>> PWD, YOUR GOVERNOR AND "REFORMING" MEDICAID - THE BATTLE> CONTINUES - Information Bulletin #75 12/04>> The NYTimes front page story on 12/26/04 was entitled> "Governors Unite In Medicaid Fight." In all likelihood,> this will be the disability fight for 2005! While the> Administration keeps hinting about "block grants" and super> waivers, the Governors are singing a very different tune.> They are telling the federal administration that "reform> should not be part of a federal budget reduction process,> especially if it does nothing more than shift additional> costs to states." While we could agree with that, there's> more.>> The Governor of your State is an important player, and> therefore your disability community MUST know the facts and> be ready to hold your Governor accountable.>> Here are the Governors' arguments:>> 1. During the past four years, Medicaid's increases are due> to increases in the number of eligible persons.>> 2. Medicaid pays for 70 % of all persons in nursing homes.>> 3. Persons who receive Medicare AND Medicaid, known as the> "dual eligibles," account for 42% of all Medicaid's> expenditures.>> These three issues DIRECTLY impact on persons with> disabilities. Our responses?>> 1. I do not know if the number of persons with disabilities> has increased that much over the past four years. Given the> SSI numbers, I do not see it. Also, since the economy has> gone down and as businesses continue to cut off health> benefits for their workers and retirees, those probably are> the reasons for the increased number of eligibles.>> 2. You can sure tell your Governor how to save substantial> Medicaid money that they are paying to nursing homes. Let> the consumer decide whether they want Medicaid to pay LESS> and receive the same services in the community or pay MORE> in the nursing homes. Your Governors know this, but the> nursing home lobby has historically been big financial> contributors to the election campaigns! If your Governor> truly wanted to save substantial Medicaid funds, move the> money from the nursing homes to the community.>> FACT: In FY 2003, nationally Medicaid spent nearly $ 45> billion on nursing home care versus $ 4 billion on home and> community based waivers for both the elderly and persons> with disabilities (this excludes the MR population who> normally are not NH eligible.) [if you want this data for> YOUR state, email me at stevegoldada@... and tell me> your state.]>> 3. Because Medicare is 100% federally funded, and Medicaid> is paid by both the federal and state governments, it's> obvious why the Governors want the benefits for dual> eligibles to be completely funded by only the federal> government.>> However, the real dual eligible issue is that they cost the> States because Medicare does not pay for long-term care!> The disability community must be careful that we do NOT> want the only change to be WHO pays for nursing homes. We> want persons to live in their own homes and communities and> receive whatever they need there - whether payment is 100%> federal or shared federal and state.>> What Advocates Should Do:>> 1. Join ADAPT in Washington, DC. 2/25 -3/1 when the> National Governors' Association will meet to discuss your> future! Medicaid reform is their number one issue.>> 2. Get to your Governor NOW. Demand a meeting directly with> the Governor - not bureaucratic intermediaries. Tell your> Governor about specific folks who want to live in their> community and tell your Governor to stop wasting Medicaid> funds on expensive and unwanted nursing homes. Tell them to> start a Money Follow the Person initiative, to develop true> community based services, and to contract with Independent> Living Centers to go into each nursing home and offer> persons a real community program.>> 3. Know the facts about your State and its Medicaid> funding. Don't let your Governor' office talk around you.> We have the facts on our side!!>> Steve Gold, The Disability Odyssey continues>> Back issues of other Information Bulletins are available> online at http://www.stevegoldada.com> with a searchable Archive at this site divided into> different subjects. To contact Steve Gold directly, write> to stevegoldada@...>> # # #>> =====================>> JOIN AAPD! There's strength in numbers! Be a part of a> national coalition of people with disabilities and join> AAPD today. http://www.aapd-dc.org>>> JFA ARCHIVES. All JFA postings from 1995 to present are> available at:> http://www.aapd-dc.org/JFA/JFAabout.html>>> NOTE: Some Internet Providers (including AOL, Earthlink and> Juno) may see JFA postings as spam because of the large> volume of JFA mail recipients and fail to deliver the> posting. If this happens, the JFA system may automatically> unsubscribe some email addresses. Should you stop receiving> JFA Alerts, please subscribe to JFA again as per the> instructions at> http://www.aapd-dc.org/JFA/JFAsubscribing.html> You may also need to contact your service provider to find> out how to prevent JFA postings from being recognized as> spam.>> PLEASE EMPTY YOUR EMAIL INBOX REGULARLY. JFA automatically> deletes subscribers that are over their message quota.> If you stop using an account please unsubscribe that old> account.>> With hundreds of inbound emails and thousands of outbound> emails daily, JFA can not respond to every message.>> We thank you for your understanding and continued> outstanding advocacy!>>> JUSTICE FOR ALL -- A Service of the> American Association of People with Disabilities> http://www.aapd-dc.org/JFA/JFAabout.html>> =====================================================================> Justice-For-All FREE Subscriptions> To subscribe or unsubscribe, send mail to majordomo@...> with one or the other in the body of your message:> subscribe justice> unsubscribe justice>>--http://home.rochester.rr.com/tcarroll"I say, play your own way. Don't play what the public wants. You play what you want and let the public pick up on what you're doing - even if it does take them fifteen, twenty years." - Thelonious Monk.join rochester_disabled news grouprochester_disabled-subscribe