United Spinal Association urges everyone to participate in the National Call-in-Day this Wednesday, May 13th. It’s easy!
Background:
In coming weeks, the Senate will finalize legislation to reform America’s health care system. Long-term services and supports based in the home and community are essential to individuals with disabilities and seniors and must be included in health care reform.
- While over 48 million Americans do not have medical insurance, over 250 million Americans lack any insurance protection for the costs of long-term services. Most people with disabilities want services in the home and community which are less expensive than nursing home and other institutional care.
- Nearly half of all funding for long-term services is provided through Medicaid that requires individuals to impoverish themselves to receive supports. Health care reform must include the opportunity for people to receive services and supports without impoverishing themselves.
- Medicaid has historically favored institutional care and denied Americans with disabilities an equal choice for home and community services.
- Hundreds of thousands of individuals with disabilities and their families are on waiting lists for Medicaid home and community-based services.
Proposals exist to help address these issues. However, they will only be included within health care reform legislation if Congress hears from you.
Aging and disability organizations have joined together to host a national call-in day on Wednesday, May 13. Please join thousands of others across the country in calling your Senators to tell them how important it is to include long-term services and supports. Your calls can make a difference!
Call-In Information:
When: Wednesday, May 13 (Between 8AM and 6PM EDT)
Call-In Number: 1-866-459-9232 (Toll Free)
You will be asked which state you are calling from and will be connected to your Senators’ offices. Below is a sample script to leave a message.
Hello (state your name and where you are calling from). I’m calling to ask the Senator to help make sure long-term services and supports based in individuals’ homes and communities are part of health care reform. Home and community based services are essential to the health, well-being, and community participation of individuals with disabilities and seniors. Please ensur that home and community based services are included in legislation to reform health care. Thank you.
Thank you for being an activist,
Andrew Morris, MPH
Director of Legislation
United Spinal Association
Hello my name is Barbara Clabeaux from Tampa, FL. We had a life changing experience happen to our family that has changed our lives forever, my stepson my husband’s only son was shot in a home invasion on 8/30/08 and is now a quadriplegic from the chest down and he’s only 19 years old. We have gone thru so much that we don’t need the insurance company telling us we can’t cover this or cover that. The insurance company kicked him out of the hospital way to early & he was forced to go to a nursing home, which is 5 hours away we commute every other weekend to visit him. We can’t bring him home & pay for 24 hrs nursing which he needs. We both work full time & have 4 other children from 21 to 6 yrs of age. I hope this bill passes so another family doesn’t have to go thru what we have had to go thru and we are not done he still needs so much rehabiliation and therapy. Thank you.