Dear DDI Friends and Families,
DDI is encouraged by President Biden’s proposal to invest $400 billion in the Medicaid Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) program as part of its Build Back Better agenda.
For decades, underinvestment in Medicaid HCBS has created obstacles to inclusion for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), their families and the direct care workers who support them.
Inadequate funding has meant Direct Support Professionals and other essential staff continue to be underpaid, leading to high turnover and vacancy rates. This inability to recruit and retain qualified direct care workers leaves America’s disability service providers unable to support every person in need. In turn, nearly 600,000 people with I/DD were on states’ waiting lists for HCBS before the pandemic—a number that has certainly skyrocketed in the wake of COVID-19.
With lobbyists coming out of the woodwork to apply pressure, the $400B slated for Medicaid HCBS is now at risk of being cut down to just $150B.
BUT YOU CAN HELP! TAKE ACTION NOW!
Send Schumer a message using Ancor’s quick and easy action tool!
Please use this pre-filled Action Tool to quickly and easily send a message to Senator Schumer letting him know our families and direct care workers desperately need the full $400B. You can send a message every 24 hours!
Active on Twitter?
We understand Senator Schumer pays close attention to Twitter. Feel free to copy and paste one of the messages below to your Twitter feed using #CareCantWait.
@SenSchumer Pls ensure that all $400B proposed by Pres Biden is included in the reconciliation package for Home & Community Based Services. Our family members’ services and direct care workers are at a crisis point! #CareCantWait
OR
@SenSchumer Home & Community Based Services are key to ensuring ppl with disabilities are included in the community. #COVID19 exacerbated a long-standing crisis in recruiting/retaining direct care workers. Ensure all $400B proposed by Biden stay in the reconciliation package. #CareCantWait
Want to give the Senator a call?
CLICK HERE for all of Senator Schumer’s office phone numbers. Please pick up the phone, and flood his office with calls.
Prefer to send him an email?
CLICK HERE and include the text below in the comments section or share your own story if you prefer.
Dear Sen. Schumer,
Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) are key to ensuring people with disabilities are included in the community, but the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated a long-standing crisis in recruiting/retaining direct care workers. Senator Schumer, please ensure that all $400B proposed by President Biden is included in the reconciliation package.
__________________________________________________________
Thank you for standing together to effect change and make a difference!