The Arc Michigan Supports House Bill 6195

Numerous senior and disability rights groups, including The Arc Michigan, are urging the Michigan Legislature to pass House Bill 6195. The bi-partisan bill would strengthen options for more than 60,000 Michigan seniors and persons with disabilities who receive care in their own homes as an alternative to institutionalized care.

The Arc Michigan supports this important legislation for three main reasons:

• It will strengthen homecare and allow seniors and persons with disabilities to remain healthy and independent in their own homes instead of forcing them into expensive nursing homes.
• It will strengthen background checks, rigorous screening and training to ensure that seniors and persons with disabilities receive safe, high-quality care.
• It will save taxpayers millions of dollars each year by avoiding expensive nursing home costs. 

The Arc Michigan played a crucial role in creating the Michigan Quality Community Care Council, a pilot program that oversees a cutting-edge registry that matches Medicaid recipients who require assistance with qualified homecare providers in their area. These providers undergo background checks and rigorous screening. They also have access to critical training on issues such as first aid, CPR, how to lift properly, nutrition, and working with those who have Alzheimer’s and dementia.

House Bill 6195 would transform this successful pilot program into a permanent program. The Arc Michigan supports this critical legislation because it will provide choice for seniors and persons with disabilities, strengthen background checks and training for homecare providers, and save taxpayers money.

To read the bill, visit www.tiny.cc/MQC3.

State House passes bi-partisan bill to strengthen nursing home alternatives

LANSING — Senior and disability rights groups today hailed the House passage of legislation that would strengthen care for seniors and persons with disabilities who receive daily living assistance in their own homes. The bill now moves on to the state Senate.

In a bi-partisan vote, the House passed House Bill 6195, co-sponsored by state Rep. Bert Johnson (D-Highland Park) and state Rep. Tory Rocca (R-Sterling Heights), which aims to strengthen the Michigan Quality Community Care Council (MQC3) by transforming it from a pilot program into a permanent entity.

The cornerstone of the legislation is strengthening the MQC3’s cutting-edge registry program, which conducts background checks on home care providers and allows patients to choose a provider who fits their specific criteria and needs.

“Michigan seniors and persons with disabilities deserve peace of mind knowing that home care providers in their area have been screened and trained,” said Mary Ablan, executive director of the Area Agencies on Aging Association of Michigan. “Transparency, accountability and high standards are all concepts that legislators from both parties can support. I applaud the House for passing House Bill 6195 in a bi-partisan fashion, and I urge the Senate to follow suit to ensure these critical consumer protections can continue.”

In addition to strengthening the quality of care, House Bill 6195 will also save taxpayers money. It costs less than $5,000 in Medicaid funds per year to provide in-home care to seniors and persons with disabilities, compared with nearly $52,000 per year for those in nursing homes, according to a study by the Anderson Economic Group. That means it costs 10 times as much to place a loved one in a nursing home as opposed to allowing them to stay in the comfort of their own home.

“Legislators from both parties understand that strengthening and making permanent the MQC3 will save taxpayer dollars at a time when we need to conserve every dollar we can,” said Dohn Hoyle, executive director of The Arc Michigan, a statewide disability rights organization. “Lots of people talk about government reform and saving taxpayer money — the MQC3 actually does it. On behalf of persons with disabilities throughout Michigan, I commend our state representatives for passing House Bill 6195.”

Groups supporting House Bill 6195 include: the Area Agencies on Aging Association of Michigan; AARP Michigan; the Michigan Disability Rights Coalition; The Arc Michigan; the MS Society of Michigan; United Cerebral Palsy of Michigan; Disability Network of Michigan; ADAPT Michigan; PHI of Michigan; lawmakers from both parties; and many more.

The current Senate version, substitute SB 731, strips out funding for the Michigan Quality Community Care Council, restricts the advisory council to the Home Help program and prohibits unionization of home help workers.

Justice Department Cracking Down On ADA Violators

From Disability Scoop

Federal officials are adding two more states to their list of targets in a string of legal actions to ensure community living options for people with disabilities.

Briefs filed this week in Illinois and California bring the number of actions to 18 over the last year alleging that states are failing to provide community living options as required under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Specifically, in a brief filed supporting a lawsuit against Sacramento County, Calif., the Justice Department says that planned cuts to outpatient mental health services will put people at risk of institutionalization.

Meanwhile in Illinois, the Obama administration is supporting efforts to gain class action status for a group of young adults with severe disabilities who lived in the community until age 21, but are facing forced institutionalization because of more limited adult options in the community.

Under the Obama administration, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division has made enforcement of the Supreme Court’s decision in Olmstead v. L.C. — which favored the option of living in the community whenever possible — a top priority. The government has filed suit against Georgia, Arkansas and New York on such matters. In addition to the briefs filed this week, the administration has also supported cases in Connecticut, North Carolina, Florida, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

“Unnecessary institutionalization deprives individuals of the opportunity to live their lives as they choose,” said Thomas E. Perez, assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division. “The department is committed to ensuring that community-based services are provided to enable individuals with disabilities to live fully integrated lives in their communities.”

The moves come ahead of the 20th anniversary of the ADA on Monday.

ACLU Sues Over Medicaid Waiver, Food Stamp Dispute

From Disability Scoop

An Indiana man with autism says the state illegally cuts his Medicaid benefits anytime his food stamp allocation increases. And he’s probably not alone.

In a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union earlier this month, Michael Dick’s family alleges that the practice is widespread and seeks class action status for those affected.

Dick, 26, has autism and is nonverbal, functioning at the level of a first or second grader, his family says. He relies on support from Medicaid and food stamps to survive. But last year, when he received a $1.25 per day cost-of-living increase in food stamps, Dick’s family says the state Medicaid program docked his payments by the same amount, leaving Dick no better off financial despite rising costs.

According to the lawsuit, federal law prevents food stamps from being considered as income. The ACLU is asking a judge to prohibit Indiana officials from including food stamp funds when computing a person’s benefit for the Indiana Developmental Disabilities Waiver Program.

Rule to Expand Medicare Preventive Services, Access to Primary Care

With Federal Approval, States Cut Special Education Spending

From Disability Scoop

In what’s believed to be a first-of-its-kind move, federal education officials recently granted waivers to at least two states allowing them to scale back special education funding.

The one-year waivers — which the Department of Education is permitted to authorize under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act in “exceptional or uncontrollable circumstances” — were granted to Iowa and Kansas. South Carolina officials are also requesting a waiver.

Special education is generally considered untouchable even during lean times since states face penalties for docking such funding from one year to the next. But a waiver allows states to cut spending without ramifications.

For Iowa, gaining a waiver means the state will be relieved of about $38 million in obligations. Most communities are expected to increase property taxes to make up for the shortfall in education funds.