[LGT-National] Health Reform, Action Everywhere

[Mark_Johnson at shepherd.org]

For Immediate release:  July 21, 2009

For information contact:

Bruce Darling 585-370-6690
Marsha Katz 406-544-9504

Disability Rights Activists Nationwide Confront Democrats On Institutional
Bias

Washington, D.C.---Demanding an end to the institutional bias in the
nation's health care policy, ADAPT, the nation's largest cross-disability,
grassroots disability rights organization, took their fight to the
headquarters of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) in Washington, DC,
with 24 simultaneous protests at Democratic offices across the country, and
at Senator Max Baucus' office in Missoula, MT.

ADAPT is calling for Congress to eliminate the Medicaid institutional bias
in 2009 - either in health care reform or as separate legislation,
specifically the Community Choice Act (CCA). CCA (S683/HR1670) allows
people to choose to stay at home to receive long-term services and supports
instead of being forced into nursing homes and institutions because that's
what the law will currently pay for.

The protesters are additionally demanding that the Democrats apologize for
the loss of freedom suffered by countless Americans that resulted when a
Democratically-controlled Congress created the institutional bias over 40
years ago; and that the DNC facilitate an immediate meeting between ADAPT
and Senator Max Baucus, Chair of the Senate Finance Committee;
Representative Henry Waxman, Chair of the House Committee on Energy and
Commerce; and Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor and Assistant to the
President for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Liaison, to develop a
plan to pass the Community Choice Act and eliminate the institutional bias
in 2009.

"For 44 years, Medicaid's institutional bias has stolen the lives of
Americans with disabilities and older Americans," said Mike Oxford, ADAPT
organizer from Topeka, KS. It has deprived them of their most basic
freedoms. The Democrats were in power when that bias was legislated. Now
it's time for them to apologize, and most importantly, it's time for them
to take action and fix it."

ADAPT's action nationwide comes in part as a response to a video released
last week by the Democratic National Committee. The video tells Americans
"It's time" for health care reform, and urges them to call their Senators.
Picking up on that theme, ADAPT released its own video this week telling
the Democrats "It's time" to eliminate the institutional bias and pass the
Community Choice Act.  See http://www.adapt.org/takeaction .

"The Democrats say they want health care reform to focus on covering more
people and saving money," said Cassie James, ADAPT organizer from
Philadelphia, "yet they refuse to change the current law that mandates
people receive long term care in the most expensive setting rather than
less expensively at home where they would rather be. In addition, the
current law forces states to go through complicated procedures just to let
a few people stay at home and get assistance there."

Many states have no home and community-based services, or they may provide
limited services with waiting lists that keep people stuck for years in
institutions and nursing facilities before they have any chance of getting
services. It is not uncommon for people to wait so long that they die
before their name reaches the top of the waiting list.

In an unprecedented show of unity this year, disability and aging groups
across the country have demanded that healthcare reform be the vehicle to
change federal policy which favors paying for institutions over community
based services. They have repeatedly asked Congress and the President to
pass the Community Choice Act, but currently, NO proposal in the health
care reform package eliminates the institutional bias in Medicaid.

"The Democrats have historically supported the Community Choice Act every
time it has been introduced in Congress," said Dawn Russell, an ADAPT
organizer from Denver, CO. "Many in the disability community were
optimistic that the Democrats would finally pass CCA and eliminate the
institutional bias, but the Democratic leadership in Washington is doing
absolutely nothing. It seems as though the Democrats are so concerned with
political maneuvering that they have completely forgotten about the people
they represent who have no voice in Washington."

"ADAPT is concerned about people who right now are stuck in nursing
facilities and other institutions. We are concerned about people on
Medicaid who will continue to be forced into those places if the law isn't
changed. And if the Democratic leadership won't speak up for them, then I
will," added Russell.

###

Local Press Contacts in ADAPT Cities

Washington, DC.................................. Diane Coleman,
708-420-0539

Denver, CO.......................................... Babs Johnson,
303-618-9721

Hartford, CT.........................................Joe Stramondo,
203-525-2880

Wilmington, DE.......................... Daniese McMullin-Powell,
302-507-7546

Atlanta, GA.................................. Cheri Mitchell, 678-755-6015

Chicago, IL................................... Jim Glozier, 724-344-0494 or
Monica Heffner, 312-404-6021

Topeka, KS.................................. Kevin Siek, 785-207-6508

Annapolis, MD............................ Cheryl Gottlieb, 301-758-4473

Lansing, MI................................ Susan Fitzmaurice, 248-767-2217

Red Lake Falls, MN.................. Gordie Haug, 218-779-8210

Saint Louis, MO........................... Michelle Steger, 314-229-7435

Missoula, MT.............................. Marsha Katz, 406-544-9504

Albuquerque, NM.................. Patti Zeigler, 505-516-5775

Albany, NY.............................. Dan Hazen, 202-340-4372

Cortland, NY........................... Susan Ruff, 607-761-7557

New York, NY........................ Julie Maury, 646-290-8895

Rochester, NY......................... Mary Willoughby, 585-402-8496

Utica, NY................................. Susan Ruff, 607-761-7557

Harrisburg, PA...................... Linda Anthony, 570-449-4501

Philadelphia, PA.................... Cassie James, 215-219-0694

Memphis, TN........................... Randy Alexander, 901-359-4982

Austin, TX....................................... Danny Saenz, 512-971-5311
or David Wittie, 512-577-8982

El Paso, TX..................................... Frank Lozano, 915-316-9471

Salt Lake City, UT............................ Jerry Costley, 801-347-0370

Madison, WI............................ Steve Verriden, 608-566-6429