Convert Nursing Home $ to Community-Based Care $

[Guest guest]

NATIONAL COUNCIL ON INDEPENDENT LIVING (NCIL)

ACTION ALERT

Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) has just introduced the Community Choice

Act of 2007 S.799. The bipartisan legislation, co-sponsored by

Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA), would increase access to community-

based services and other supports for Americans with disabilities and

older Americans.

The Community Choice Act of 2007 gives individuals who are eligible

for nursing home services or other institutional care equal access to

community-based services and supports, like attendant services. The

legislation also provides enhanced federal matching funds to help

states develop their long-term care infrastructure and grant funds to

help states increase their ability to provide home and community-

based services. Finally, this bill creates a demonstration project

to evaluate service coordination and cost sharing approaches for

those eligible for both Medicaid and Medicare services.

The Community Choice Act is about individual CHOICE. It allows an

individual to choose to receive their care in the community, rather

than in an institutional setting. There is nothing in the Act, which

takes away the right of an individual to receive their services in an

institutional setting, if they so choose.

" We have all advocated for the Community Choice Act for many years

and we all look forward to the day when no one remains in a nursing

home or other institution who wishes to live in their own home. I

believe this important legislation has a real chance in passing

through this Congress and will enable people with disabilities to

have a choice to remain in their homes, in their communities with

quality support services " says NCIL President Buckland.

Other current co-sponsors on the Community Choice Act are:

Kennedy (D-MA), Inouye (D-HI), Ken Salazar (D-CO), ph

Biden (D-DE), ph Lieberman (ID-CT), Hillary Clinton (D-NY),

Schumer (D-NY), and Dodd (D-CT).

Now is the time to collect more co-sponsors for the Community Choice

Act! If your Senator is not on this list, call them directly or

through the U.S. Capitol switchboard at 1-202-224-3121 and ask them

to sponsor S. 799.

Representative Danny will soon be introducing the Community

Choice Act in the House of Representatives. Please remind your

Representative about their commitment to consumer choice and

independence. Together we can and will make a difference! Thank you

for your advocacy efforts!