September 18, 2011
For Information contact:
Bruce Darling (585)370-6690
Rahnee Patrick (312) 320-5111
Bob Kafka (512) 431-4085
http://www.adapt. org
Open Letter About Medicaid to President Obama from ADAPT
Dear President Obama
The ADAPT Community has spent over 20 years working to eliminate the
institutional bias in Medicaid. This institutional bias has forced
millions of Americans into institutions because institutional services
are an entitlement while community based services that provide supports
in our own homes is optional. We have achieved systemic Medicaid reforms
that have freed many of our brothers and sisters from oppressive
institutions. While the institutional bias still exists in Medicaid,
thousands of Americans now are able to use Medicaid optional programs in
their state to find freedom from those institutions.
You say that you want to make modest "adjustments" to Medicaid which can
only mean cuts. We know the programs that always face cuts first are
the "optional" programs particularly those that provide services that
have freed thousands Americans from oppressive and costly institutions.
You can use other words like "administrative changes", "leveling the
F-MAP", or other terms, but lets not mince words, seniors and PWDs will
pay the price. We will pay for such savings with our freedom, and quite
possibly our lives.
We cannot support a leader that proposes Medicaid cuts that will cost us our freedom and jobs.
We demand that there be no arbitrary Medicaid cuts. Instead we support
REAL Medicaid Reform. There are ways to protect our freedom and save
money and more importantly end the institutional bias in Medicaid by:
* Expanding the use of community based services
* Demedicalizing services
* Expanding consumer directed options
* Reorganize Medicaid services to eliminate wasteful bureaucracy.
We urge you to include this approach and these prinicples in any plan that you develop to address the deficit.
The ADAPT Community
