Two members of Congress from opposite sides of the aisle are urging government officials to rethink their approach to Medicaid and how it can best serve those with disabilities.
In an op-ed published Thursday afternoon on the website of the Capitol Hill newspaper The Hill, Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, and Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., said that federal and state governments could save money by establishing policies to make it easier for people with disabilities to live in community-based settings as opposed to costly institutional facilities.“Today, as we seek ways to reduce budget deficits, we must seize on the opportunity to make our Medicaid dollars go farther while finally giving millions of individuals with disabilities one of the most fundamental of rights: the choice to live independently,” the lawmakers wrote.
As of 2009, it cost about $137,000 annually to care for an individual with an intellectual disability in an institution compared to about $44,000 to provide for the same person in the community, Harkin and McMorris Rodgers said.
Nonetheless, they indicated that many current policies leave people with disabilities with no choice but to live in restrictive environments.
“Rather than taking steps to reduce wasteful spending on institutional settings, many states have cut the services that keep people with disabilities in their own homes and communities,” Harkin and McMorris Rodgers wrote, calling the approach “short-sighted.”
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Lawmakers Call for Emphasis on Community Living
2 comments:
This is exactly what's needed. Keep people at home as long as they want to be and as long as possible.
FINALLY, Congress Members even though from opposite sides have the intellect of common sense and reality to understand that federal and state governments could $AVE, (for just one person) "HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS" OF DOLLARS, by establishing policies to make it easier for people with disabilities to live in community-based settings as opposed to costly institutional facilities.
AMERICAN'S commend Tom Harkin/D-Iowa and Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers/R-Wash., bringing to the forefront, and acknowledging the rights of not only the disabled but our elderly and "their" fundamental rights, the choice to live independently or with family willing and able to care for them
in community and home base settings.
Of course it would reduce budget deficits putting in place new policies that would protect the medical and personal needs of
the disabled and elderly that are able to return to the community.
Bear in mind there are many family members willing and "able" to care for their loves one at home instead of forcing them to stay in a institution racking up Millions of Dollars in Medicare and Medicaid state Funding.
It's time for our Government at the midnight hour of the budget deficit crisis to step up and allow our American families able and willing to bring our loves ones home. Love ones who have been forced in institutions by unlawful methods through no fault of their own. These wrong choices has put America in a very critical financial position.
A "Solution," has been presented by members of Congress, a Democrat and a Republican stepped up and brought a solution that would help Reduce the budget deficit.
My question is....
WHY HASN'T THE REST OF CONGRESS GOTTEN ON BOARD AND EXPEDITED NEW POLICIES TO BRING OUR DISABLBED AND ELDERLY HOME ?
Many disabled and elderly do not belong in these institutions and are able to live at home, their Constutional Rights have been violated because of predators whose only goal was to use them for financial gain. Time for Congress to put a STOP to these crimes and SAVE our Country and most vulnerable.
"SEVENTEEN DAYS" left for Decision Time for the Budget, but who's counting????
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