----- Original Message -----
From: Nika Naylor, SCICIL
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Sunday, January 30, 2005 3:43 PM
Subject: ACTION ALERT -- IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUESTED
Greetings to Iowa's Disability and Senior Advocacy Communities!
It is with great urgency that I request action from you/your organization regarding the Commitment to Community-Based Long Term Care Services and Support resolution. Iowa's advocacy community must act fast to assure that Governor Vilsack (a member of the NGA's Executive Committee) is on board and ready to vote YES on this resolution at the NGA Winter Meeting in March.
Please keep me informed of your activities J
Thanks,
Nika Naylor
South Central Iowa CIL
500 High Avenue West
Oskaloosa, Iowa 52577
800-651-7911
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NGA Resolution -
Members of ADAPT are urging the National Governors Association (NGA) to consider a resolution at NGA's next convention in March 2005. Although advocates attempted to have the resolution voted on at the NGA's summer meeting in July 2004, the resolution did not go before the Governors.
The resolution, Commitment to Community-Based Long Term Care Services and Support, is attached for your review. It would have the NGA resolve to support the Medicaid Community Attendant Services and Supports Act (MiCASSA - S. 971/H.R. 2032); to work toward aggressive implementation of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Olmstead v. L.C. and E.W.; to work with states to assure that Section 1115 waivers have public statewide hearings and not be used to undercut the Medicaid community services and federal protections; and support reform of the long term services and supports system that does not result in block granting, capitating, or otherwise reducing or eliminating funding to the states or removal of Medicaid protections.
To support the broad disability community's efforts to garner support from the nation's governors, you are urged to advocate with your governor at the state level. Attached is a sample that may assist you in this effort.
If you have any questions, please contact me at 800-651-7911 or by e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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Dear Governor:
On behalf of people with disabilities and their families throughout the
(state/commonwealth of ), I am writing to urge you to support a
resolution regarding Medicaid community based services at the March meeting of the National Governors Association(NGA).
The resolution, Commitment to Community-Based Long Term Care Services and Support, is attached for your review. It would have the NGA resolve to support the Medicaid Community Attendant Services and Supports Act (MiCASSA - S. 971/H.R. 2032); to work toward aggressive implementation of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Olmstead v. L.C. and E.W.; to work with states to assure that Section 1115 waivers have public statewide hearings and not be used to undercut the Medicaid community services and federal protections; and support reform of the long term services and supports system that does not result in block granting, capitating, or otherwise reducing or eliminating funding to the states or removal of Medicaid protections.
The American public overwhelmingly prefers that necessary long term supports and services be provided in their own homes and communities. The Medicaid program continues to be biased in favor of nursing home and ICF/MR (intermediate care services for people with mental retardation and related
conditions) services. Given the guidance from the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Olmstead v. L.C. and E.W., the Medicaid program should abandon the institutional bias and, instead, assist states in providing home and community based services.
We (organization) urge you to seriously consider the proposed resolution and support it. I would be happy to meet with you or your staff to discuss the importance of the resolution to citizens of this state.
Sincerely,
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RESOLUTION Commitment To Community-based Long Term Care Services and Support WHEREAS millions of people with disabilities and older Americans currentlyneed or will need long term services and supports to live in the communityand this number is expected to grow at a rapid pace over the next
threedecades; and WHEREAS the current long term care system is fragmented,
overly medicalized,bureaucratic, expensive with an institutional bias that unnecessarily forcespeople with disabilities and older Americans in nursing homes and otherinstitutions; and WHEREAS the Supreme Court in the Olmstead vs. LC & EW decision ruled in1999 that people have the right to services in the most integrated setting;and WHEREAS the American public overwhelmingly supports long term careservices and supports be provided in their own home and communities; and WHEREAS the reform of the long term care (services and
supports) systemmust be a cooperative partnership between the federal government, the statesand the disability/older community, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the National Governors Association, NGA, bya vote of the membership and the Executive Committee supports the following: A) The current long term services and support system has an institutionalbias that must be reformed through a cooperative effort by the federalgovernment, the states and the disability/older community including thosewho use services; and B) The long term services and support system must include the principlesthat home and community services and supports are the first priority andthat support services should be provided in the most integrated setting;and C) No person with a disability or older American should be forced into anursing home or other institution because of the lack of integrated homeand community options; and D) People with disabilities and older Americans must have full inclusionin the design, implementation and review of the long term services andsupport system; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the NGA supports the passage and funding ofthe Medicaid Community Attendant Services and Supports Act, MiCASSA(currentlyS971 - HR
2032) and legislation that include the Money Follows the Personinitiative (currently S.1394 - HR 1811); and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the NGA work with the individual states toassure that the Supreme Court's Olmstead decision is aggressivelyimplemented and that the measure of this implementation be, in a year, howmany people have gotten out of nursing homes and other institutions andhow many people have been diverted from nursing homes and other institutions;and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the NGA work with the states to assure thatany 1115 waivers submitted by a State should have statewide public hearingsbefore development and submission to HHS, and that the 1115 waiver processshould not be used to undercut current community Medicaid services andfederal protections; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the NGA supports reform of the long termservices and support system that does not result in block granting,capitating or otherwise reducing or eliminating funding to the states orthe removal of the current national Medicaid protections. Passed this day ____________ February 2005 NATIONAL ADAPT MAILING LIST - Adapt MiCASA List
