Quick signature:
Tell Congress to invest in Home- and Community-Based Services!
*When you click, you’ll automatically sign on if we already have your
information.
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Dear Friend,
“We have 3 children who are medically fragile and medically complex who
are able to receive care at home thanks to our state’s HCBS waiver.
These programs are critically important to ensuring families can stay
together and children like mine don’t have to live in a hospital or
institution but can be at home with the support of nursing, case
management, and other services. This not only saves the states money but
saves families!” - Jenny in North Carolina
[ [link removed] ]Quick signature: Tell your members of Congress to support a $150
billion investment in Home- and Community-Based Services (HCBS)! *When you
click, you’ll automatically sign on if we already have your information.
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, or aging family members, this shared hope can be a
monumental struggle without the right kind of support and services. This
is 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 stay at home and thrive in their communities.
What’s happening? Home- and Community-Based Services 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 820K people on
waiting lists. [1] This leaves many families facing the difficult choice
of whether to provide the needed care themselves or to 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
people with disabilities of all ages the self-determination to choose
where they want to live.
[2]Add your name! When you click, you’ll automatically sign on to our
petition that reads:
Dear Congress,
I am writing to ask that you deliver real solutions for moms and
families now by including a $150 billion investment in Home- and
Community-Based Services in an economic package this year. This would
expand services to people with disabilities and older adults, reduce
waiting lists, and improve job quality for the workers who provide these
critical services.
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 infections and deaths in congregate settings,
including nursing homes. The American Rescue Plan included a temporary
provision to increase the federal match rate for Home- and
Community-Based Services by 10% to build capacity for these services.
While this was 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.
This investment in HCBS would also enable 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. And
it must begin to address the significant race and population-based
inequities that often occur with access to HCBS.
[ [link removed] ]Don’t forget to sign on! Tell Congress to make critical investments in
Home- and Community-Based Services!
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 to share it on
social media: [ [link removed] ][link removed]
Together we are a powerful voice for the health of families.
- Felicia, Donna, Kristin and the whole MomsRising / MamásConPoder team
[1] Kaiser Family Foundation, [ [link removed] ]Key State Policy Choices About Medicaid
Home and Community-Based Services
[2] Justice in Aging, [ [link removed] ]Medicaid Home- and Community-Based Services for
Older Adults with Disabilities: A Primer
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