ADAPT DEMANDS SUPER COMMITTEES REPUBLICAN SENATORS STEP UP ON

For Immediate Release

September 20, 2011


Contact:

Janine Bertram (503)622-6387
Bruce Darling (585) 370-6690
Marsha Katz (406) 544-9504

 
ADAPT DEMANDS SUPER COMMITTEE'S REPUBLICAN SENATORS STEP UP ON MEDICAID
REFORM

Washington, DC --- Building on protests yesterday at the White House and 
the Congressional offices of Republican Representatives Jeb Hensarling 
(R-Texas) and Dave Camp (R-Michigan), the national disability rights group 
ADAPT is now at the Senate offices in the U.S. Capitol, demanding that two 
Super Committee Senators, Jon Kyl (R-Arizona) and Patrick J. Toomey 
(R-Pennsylvania) work with them to ensure that Medicaid dollars are 
invested in cost-savingcommunity supports.  54 ADAPT activists were 
arrested at the offices of Rep. Hensarling and Rep. Camp yesterday; 30 
remained in custody as of mid-morning.

"People need to understand that reducing funds to the Medicaid system in 
any way will result in providers closing and people losing services," said 
Cassie James Holdsworth of Philadelphia ADAPT.  "President Obama said 
yesterday that his proposed Medicaid will not result in loss of coverage 
for people with disabilities and seniors.  But the fact is that even waste 
reduction strategies such as privatized managed care result in major 
disruption of services.  The Super Committee has to understand that we 
need to get real about Medicaid.  Over the next decade, more and more 
people will need it and we should be investing in cost saving services 
like home and community based supports, and not just engage in slash and 
burn cuts that willcost more in the long run."

"Community-based Medicaid services give us independence, health care, help 
our families stay together, and provide jobs," said Tom Cagle of Ohio 
ADAPT. "States have already made significant cuts to Medicaid. How many 
more people with disabilities and seniors must lose our basic freedoms and 
lives in order to have done our share?"

Lopeti Penimani, an ADAPT organizer from Phoenix, Arizona, pointed out 
that states have already reduced or eliminated vital home care services 
and forced seniors and people with disabilities into nursing facilities 
against their will. "People are already experiencing reduced or eliminated 
access to basic healthcare, including medications.  Jobs have already been 
eliminated for home care and direct care workers."

ADAPT is demanding that the Senate Republicans on the Super Committee 
agree to support the "millionaire's tax" assure that funding for Medicaid 
is not capped and that it increases proportionate to need; eliminate 
Medicaid's institutional bias as a part of the plan to address the 
deficit; and provide ADAPT with an opportunity to testify before the 
entire Super Committee regarding ADAPT's proposals for real Medicaid 
reform and eliminating the institutional bias in the plan to address the 
deficit.

Details of ADAPT's REAL Medicaid Reform proposals can be found on the
ADAPT website at http://www.adapt.org

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ADAPT;S DEMANDS of the Republican Senate Members on the Super Committee

September 20, 2011

Congressional Republicans, including those on the Super Committee, believe 
the burden of deficit reduction should only come from spending cuts to 
critical programs, including Medicaid. They refuse to ask millionaires and 
billionaires to pay their fair share to get our fiscal house in order and 
reduce the deficit."

Fundamental questions need to be answered: 

What is fair in such shared sacrifice?

Is a Medicaid home care recipient losing assistance with getting in and 
out of bed and toileting the same as a hedge fund manager not being able 
to buy yet another Ferrari?

Is a family who is forced to give up their disabled child because Medicaid 
will no longer provide them with the supports they need the same as a 
family who will now need to think twice about buying a luxury estate?

Is an elderly woman losing her home and family and being forced into a 
nursing facility because she can no longer receive Medicaid attendant 
services the same as an oil company not being able to write off the cost 
of a private jet.

Is an attendant who just manages to make ends meet losing the income that 
allows her to care for her family the same as a bank executive paying more 
taxes on a multi-million dollar bonus?

ADAPT demands that the Congressional Senate Republicans on the Super 
Committee agree to:


*  include a millionaire's tax in the deficit reduction plan toassure that 
  Medicaid beneficiaries do not bear the burden of efforts to address the 
  deficit;

*  maintain the integrity of the Medicaid program by assuring that the 
  funding for Medicaid is not capped and increases proportionate to need;


*  eliminate Medicaid's institutional bias as a part of the plan to 
  address the deficit; and

*  provide ADAPT with an opportunity to testify before the entire Super 
  Committee regarding ADAPT's proposals for real Medicaid reform an 
  deliminating the institutional bias in the plan to address the deficit.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION on ADAPT visit our website at http://www.adapt.org/