Fwd: [DGV] Bush Backs Away from Support of Money-Follows-the-Person

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In a message dated 02/05/2004 10:44:06 AM Eastern Standard Time, dgeditor@... writes:

Bush Backs Away from Support of Money-Follows-the-Person">From ADAPT <adapt@...>:The President's Budget is out and the Administration has backed down on funding commitment to Money Following the Individual Rebalancing Initiative. President Bush's FY 2005 budget has no funding for Money Following the Individual Rebalancing Initiative in FY 2005 and instead of the $1.75billion that was in the proposed 2004 budget, incentive funding has been reduced 70% to only $500 million for FYs 2006-2009. This is a major pull back from the President's rhetoric about a major commitment to changing the institutional bias.S. 1394 (Money Follows the Person bill introduced in the Senate) remains as it was before, as does MiCASSA.We still need hearings to push for these bills and to continue discussion of how to solve the institutional bias in our long term care services. Congress ultimately decides the budget, as well as passing laws, and we can make the changes we want if we keep up the pressure.******** Push for a Hearing! *************MiCASSA and the Money Follows the Person Actneed our help to get heard in the Senate.Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), along with Senators Gordon (R-WA) and Arlen Specter (R-PA), sent a bipartisan letter to Senate Finance Committee Chairman Grassley (R-IA) and Ranking Democrat Max Baucus (D-MT) calling for a hearing on the institutional bias in the Medicaid program.Medicaid requires that states provide nursing home care, but leaves it up to states to choose if they will or will not offer home and community based services, and how much they will offer."Many people with disabilities and older Americans who rely on Medicaid are denied any choice about their living arrangements. They have to leave their homes and neighborhoods and say goodbye to friends and families," Harkin wrote. "This forced segregation violates American values of fairness and inclusion."There are several bills to address this inequity, with bi-partisan support, which are pending before the Finance Committee.* The Medicaid Community Attendant Services and Supports Act (MiCASSA), S. 971, co-sponsored by Senators Harkin, Specter and others, would require states to provide community based attendant services to individuals with disabilities and older Americans. Both bills are needed to fully address the lack of choice in the current Medicaid program.* The Money Follows the Person Act, S. 1394, co-sponsored with Senators Harkin, , Specter and others, would give states additional resources to provide home and community-based services to individuals choosing to leave a nursing home or institution."People with disabilities and older Americans have waited too long for Congress to address this grave injustice," said Harkin. "We need to shed light on this problem and enact legislation this year."Contact these Senators today and urge to them to have a hearing on MiCASSA, Money Follows the Person and the institutional bias in the Medicaid program.(Senator Grassley is the Chair of the Senate Finance Committee, Senator Baccus is the top democrat on the Committee.)The Honorable E. GrassleyUnited States Senate135 Hart Senate Office BuildingWashington, D.C. 20510-1501Phone: 202-224-3744Fax: 202-224-6020http://grassley.senate.gov/webform.htmThe Honorable Max BaucusUnited States Senate511 Hart Senate Office BuildingWashington, D.C. 20510-2602Phone: 202-224-2651Fax: 202-224-4700http://baucus.senate.gov/emailmax.html# # #=====================All JFA postings from 1995 to present are available at: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. 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