TIME-SENSITIVE: Tell Medicaid What Is (And What Is NOT) Community Living

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*ACTION ALERT:** *

*What Does Community Mean To You? Let Medicaid Know!*

Greetings!

What does community mean to you? For some people, this question doesn't mean

much but for the hundreds of thousands of Americans receiving Medicaid Home

and Community Based Services (HCBS), the meaning of community has huge

implications. Last year, the State of Missouri attempted to use Medicaid

dollars allocated to serving individuals with disabilities in the community

for the construction of group homes on the grounds of an institution. The

Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) quite rightly refused

<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=sdpblmeab & et=1105927644264 & s=302 & e=001oNTUJu51ItA\

pIvG_NI-xSr8RgjP8ONm4IJiy5lY7G4pyzZmVI5_T_D2FTqIi0xJDgsRxFkn1gkPtaAAr3XaSgLCBMek\

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allow Missouri to use Medicaid HCBS funding for this plan, as the purpose of

the HCBS program is to help people avoid institutionalization, not to

support settings that further segregate people from their communities.

Now our friends at CMS are trying to put in place strong minimum standards

for HCBS settings, to prevent what almost happened in Missouri from

occurring in the future. CMS has proposed regulations which would prevent

HCBS dollars going to institutional facilities, settings which are on the

grounds of an institution, settings which are segregated on the basis of

disability and settings which have the characteristics of an institution,

such as lack of privacy or rules about when people can eat and sleep. This

is an unprecedented opportunity for the disability community to support a

real minimum standard for community living.

We need your help to make these standards a reality. CMS' proposed

rulemaking (available

here<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=sdpblmeab & et=1105927644264 & s=302 & e=001oNTUJu5\

1ItCntqOjHmDDf0mup0SVUmH9e2Rjt7qqRy7V9BLsSb_VNDhiXybhoEPHOpISsZcadddfDOWmakDlUxC\

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FwrjWkqFuoPLI2g==>)

is only open for comments for four more days (it closes this Tuesday, June

14th at 5 PM) and we know that the usual suspects in the institution and

nursing home industry have already written in opposing any standards for how

HCBS dollars are used. We need people to write in to tell CMS that community

living does not occur on the grounds of an institution and doesn't include

arbitrary restrictions on the rights of people with disabilities.

Here's what you can do:

1. Write in to CMS and tell them that you SUPPORT the proposed

rulemaking by going to:

http://www.regulations.gov/#!submitComment;D=CMS-2009-0071-0302<http://r20.rs6.n\

et/tn.jsp?llr=sdpblmeab & et=1105927644264 & s=302 & e=001oNTUJu51ItCQ1pTOdX-PjdXPDUzC\

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Uo8KwjNq5qakUZEpPYBXsZ4377rlv3ZDN8u0hqOJPo9RBpCvhcThi_PG-2tHkbPgJxCrPpC_Fw==>

2. Don't hesitate to add in your thoughts about what Community should

mean and make suggestions about things that CMS could add to their proposed

rulemaking. If you're looking for ideas, don't hesitate to use ASAN's

comments as an example. You can feel free to use our language if it makes it

easier. Our comments are available here:

http://www.autisticadvocacy.org/modules/smartsection/item.php?itemid=153<http://\

r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=sdpblmeab & et=1105927644264 & s=302 & e=001oNTUJu51ItDfuZ5SzcA\

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44UyRV3yI2DKF>

3. Send a copy of this advocacy alert to your friends and colleagues

encouraging them to write in too - the more people who write in - be they

people with disabilities, parents, professionals or just supportive allies -

the stronger our position will be. Help us get the word out!

Remember to write in by THIS TUESDAY June 14th at 5 PM. This is a critical

opportunity to have our voices heard and we shouldn't let it pass us by.

Remember, Nothing About Us, Without Us!

Regards,

The Autistic Self Advocacy Network

*

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The Autistic Self-Advocacy Network (ASAN) is a non-profit organization run

by and for Autistic people, fighting for disability rights in the world of

autism. Working in fields such as public policy, media representation,

research and systems change, ASAN hopes to empower Autistic people across

the world to take control of their own lives and the future of our common

community.

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