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These are the groups that have signed on to the letter opposing the cuts in
Case Management that CMS is trying to push through. Is your group on the
list? Deadline for signing on is Feb 1st. In case you missed it before,
below the list is an explanation of the problem and copy of the letter. If
you would like your organization to sign on email Linda Taylor at
[EMAIL PROTECTED] and we will add
you.Please respond to Linda before 5 pm EST on February 1st.
Center for Disability Rights
Regional Center for Independent Living
Rochester ADAPT
Catskill Center for Independence
ADAPT of Texas
Institute for Disability Access
Statewide Independent Living Council of Georgia, Inc
Options for Independence
Center for Independent Living of South Florida
President of the Board of Directors, Regional Center for Independent Living
ADAPT Delaware
ADAPT Michigan
ADAPT Montana
Ana Mercado
Spirit Path
A.L.M.A - Disability Advocates Supporting & Empowering
Living Independence For everyone (LIFE) of Mississippi
SILO
American Association of People with Disabilities
Coalition of Texans with Disabilities
Feminist Response in Disability Activism
Disabled in Action of Greater Syracuse
Ellen Nuzzi, Academic Counselor/Adjunct Assistant Professor
Northern Regional Center for Independent Living
NJ Statewide Independent Living Council
Southeast Kansas Independent Living Resource Center
National Spinal Cord Injury Association
Southern Tier Independence Center
Southwest Center for Independence
Connections for Independent Living
Center for People with Disabilities
Finger Lakes Independence Center
New York Association on Independent Living
TriLakes Center for Independent Living
The Arc of Nebraska
Center for Independence of the Disabled of New York
CT Association of Centers for Independent Living
Ventilator Support Network
TheUnderRepresented.com
ADAPT Of Oregon
Employment Link
WNYILP, Peer Group Coordinator
ADAPT of Tennessee
Memphis Center for Independent Living
Disabled in Action of Metro NY
PRECISA, Inc.
ADAPT of Maryland
Southwestern Center for Independent Living
********
Interim Final Rules issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
(CMS) will reduce federal case management reimbursement targeted for
transitioning people from institutional settings to the community. Under
the
Interim Final Rules, CMS reduces the funding for individuals "transitioning
to
a community setting" from the current 180 days to only 60 days if the
individual has been institutionalized for six months or more. CMS will only
allow payment for 14 days if the individual has been institutionalized for
less than six months. This change undercuts efforts at the state level to
comply with the Olmstead decision, implement the Money Follows the Person
Demonstration programs and support people transitioning into the community
from institutional placement.
We must let CMS know that we oppose this change.
National ADAPT is organizing a coalition response to show the widespread
opposition for this change. If you would like to add your organization's
name
to this letter, email Linda Taylor at [EMAIL PROTECTED] and we will
add
you. The deadline to respond to CMS is February 4th, so please respond to
Linda before 5 pm EST on February 1st.
COALITION LETTER TO CMS OPPOSING CASE MANAGEMENT CHANGES
January 22, 2008
Dennis Smith, Director of the Center for Medicaid and State Operations
Department of Health and Human Services
Attention CMS-2237-IFC
P.O. Box 8016
Baltimore, MD 21244-8016
Re: Interim Final Rule on Case Management Services
Dear Mr. Smith:
The undersigned organizations are deeply concerned about and oppose Interim
Final Rules issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
which will reduce federal case management reimbursement targeted for
assistance transitioning individuals from an institutional setting to the
community. Under the Interim Final Rules, CMS would reduce the funding for
such an individual from the current 180 days to only 60 days if the
individual
has been institutionalized for six months or more. CMS would only allow
payment for 14 days if the individual has been institutionalized for less
than
six months.
CMS staff stated that the rationale for this change, in part, is that
payment
for transition case management is a duplication of payment to the
institution
which is expected to provide "discharge planning". We strongly disagree
with
this assertion. Transition into the community requires a great deal of work
to coordinate the services and supports individuals need to be successful.
Based on the collective experience of advocates and service providers in our
coalition, we know that institution-based staff is unfamiliar with the
complex
array of community-based housing options, services, and supports that must
be
navigated to transition into community living. This work is particularly
difficult and time-consuming because the entire plan must be in place at the
same time. It is impossible to effectively put one component of a plan in
place and then work on another piece.
CMS originally changed these case management rules and increased the
allowable
payment to address concerns that people needed additional support beyond
institutional discharge planning to transition to community living. This
change was made to help states comply with the Olmstead decision. Reversing
this position simply strengthens the institutional bias and undercuts state
transition efforts. The timing on this change is particularly devastating
because states are beginning to implement their Money Follows the Person
Demonstration programs. Advocates have been working with the states to use
the expanded case management funding to support the work needed to make
community living a viable alternative. More importantly, this funding
stream
would help transition people into the community long after the demonstration
program was over.
We are also concerned that the payment system creates a huge disincentive
for
smaller non-profit organizations to do this work. Payment is made only
after
the individual has transitioned to the community. Smaller non-profit
organizations, which have been the leaders in transitioning people out of
nursing facilities, often do not have sufficient cash flow to support the
work
while they wait months for payment. We urge CMS to work with advocates to
develop an approach which maintains accountability for the work but also
addresses this concern.
Again, we urge you to retract these devastating changes.
Sincerely,
NATIONAL ADAPT MAILING LIST - Adapt Community Choice Act List
http://www.adapt.org
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