Help Push for a Hearing!

From: Stephanie Thomas

MiCASSA and the Money Follows the Person Act need our help to get heard in the Senate.

Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), along with Senators Gordon Smith (R-WA) and Arlen Specter (R-PA), sent a bipartisan letter to Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles 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, Smith, 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 Charles E. Grassley
United States Senate
135 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-1501
Phone: 202-224-3744
Fax: 202-224-6020
http://grassley.senate.gov/webform.htm 

The Honorable Max Baucus
United States Senate
511 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-2602
Phone: 202-224-2651
Fax: 202-224-4700
http://baucus.senate.gov/emailmax.html