Quick signature: Tell Congress to increase funding for Home- and
Community-based services!
*When you click, you’ll automatically sign on if we already have your
information.
[ [link removed] ]Take Action Now
[ [link removed] ]TAKE ACTION

Dear Friend,

As parents, we all want our children to grow up as healthy as possible and
find their place in the world. We want our babies to thrive as they become
children, teenagers, and eventually adults, and to be wholly included in
our communities.

But for many families who have kids and adults with disabilities, this
shared hope can be a monumental struggle without the right kind of support
and services. That’s why we need Congress to take action to improve our
long-term care system to enable kids and people with disabilities, as well
as older adults, to live safely at home and thrive in their communities.

[ [link removed] ]*Quick signature: Tell Congress to make expansion of Home- and
Community-Based Services (HCBS) a priority. *When you click, you’ll
automatically sign on if we already have your information.

What’s happening? Home- and Community-based services (HCBS) are mainly
covered under Medicaid and are typically not covered under Medicare or
private insurance. However, while state Medicaid programs are required to
cover care in institutional settings like nursing homes, their
Medicaid-funded HCBS programs—which enable people who need services to
stay in their homes and communities—have limited spots available leaving
nearly one million people on waiting lists. [1] This leaves many families
facing the difficult choice of whether to provide the needed care
themselves or institutionalize their loved one so they can receive the
support needed, even though the vast majority prefer to receive care at
home. [ [link removed] ] Access to HCBS affords disabled people of all ages the civil
rights they are entitled to—the self-determination to choose where they
want to live. [ [link removed] ]

The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated just how important it is for
families to have the option to keep their loved ones at home, given the
large number of COVID-19 deaths in congregate settings, including nursing
homes. The American Rescue Plan which passed earlier this year included a
temporary provision to increase the federal match rate for HCBS by 10% to
build capacity in state HCBS. [ [link removed] ] While this is a good start, much more is
needed in order to address the needs of people with disabilities and the
inequities that exist in long-term services and support programs across
the country after decades of lack of investment in the HCBS
infrastructure.

Right now, we have a historic opportunity to invest in the care
infrastructure that our families and communities need to thrive and
prosper—and increasing funding for HCBS must be included. This funding can
help clear the Medicaid wait lists for home and community-based care and
assist people in moving from large congregate settings back into their
homes and communities. Additional funding will also help to begin to
address the significant race and population-based inequities that often
occur with access to HCBS, as well as the pay inequities for direct care
workers who are most often women of color and immigrants. [ [link removed] ]

[2]Add your name! Tell Congress to include $400 billion for Home- and
Community-Based Services as part of our care infrastructure.

When you click, you’ll automatically sign on to our letter that reads:

Dear Members of Congress,

Right now, we have a historic opportunity to invest in the care
infrastructure that our families and communities need to thrive and
prosper—and increasing funding for Home- and Community-Based Services
(HCBS) must be included. A substantial increase for HCBS will enable
states to clear their Medicaid waiting lists for home- and
community-based care, assist people in moving from large congregate
settings back into their homes and communities, and improve job quality
for home care workers. Additionally, it will begin to address the
significant race and population-based inequities that often occur with
access to HCBS.

This expansion of funding should require states to raise job quality
(i.e. wages, benefits, access to training, and career pathways) for
direct care workers, most of whom are women of color and immigrants. It
should also create a home care worker pipeline through legalization of
qualified undocumented home care workers to help address the care gap
and create a robust care worker pipeline.

Please make expansion of HCBS a priority by including $400 billion for
Home- and Community-Based Services as part of our care infrastructure.

[3]Don’t forget to add your name! Tell congress to increase funding for
HCBS! *When you click, you’ll automatically sign on if we already have
your information.

The more people who speak out, the bigger our impact. Please take a moment
to forward our action link to your friends and family and share it on
social media: [4][link removed]

Together we are a powerful voice for the health of families.

- Felicia, Tasmiha, Donna and the whole MomsRising / MamásConPoder team

 

[1] U.S. News & World Report, [5]Disability Advocates Press Lawmakers for
Better Home-Based Services 
[2] Justice in Aging, [ [link removed] ]Medicaid Home-and Community-Based Services for
Older Adults with Disabilities: A Primer 
[3] Little Lobbyists, [ [link removed] ]Caregiving Is Infrastructure 
[4] Kaiser Family Foundation, [ [link removed] ]Potential Impact of Additional Federal
Funds for Medicaid HCBS for Seniors and People with Disabilities 
[5] National Health Law Program, [ [link removed] ]Disability, Race, and Structural
Inequity: COVID-19 and the Long-Term Care Workforce 


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