ADAPT Demands that the Obama Administration Release the Final

Although we have been repeatedly told that the CFC rules will be released
"soon", they still haven't been released.
It is now nearly five months after states were supposed to be able to select
the CFC Option.
As the email below reads, we have waited long enough!
Thanks for your advocacy, and we will continue to keep you updated on this.

FREE OUR PEOPLE!

***

Sent: Thursday, February 23, 2012 12:35 PM

To: Marilyn Tavenner (CMS Administrator); Cynthia Mann (CMS Deputy
Director/Medicaid); Bill Corr (HHS Deputy Secretary); Sally Howard (HHS
Secretary's Chief of Staff); Henry Claypool (Director of HHS Office on
Disability);  Valerie Jarrett (White House Advisor); Cecilia Munoz (Director
of the Domestic Policy Council); Kareem Dale (White Special Assistant to the
President for Disability Policy); disability@who.eop.gov

Subject: CFC rules

The ADAPT Community and other disability rights advocates have been
increasingly frustrated that the final rules implementing the Community First
Choice (CFC) Option have not yet been released.  The CFC Option and its
enhanced federal match were supposed to be available to states as of October
1, 2011.

Although the administration has indicated that states may select the option
without the final rules in place, the vast majority of states are unwilling to
implement a program without those final rules.  They are concerned that the
final rules could be different from the proposed rules and don't want to
assume the risk of implementing a program that is inconsistent with the final
rules.

We understand that there were concerns about state practice differing from the
proposed definition of community for 1915(c) waivers, and although ADAPT
suggested language to strengthen that section of the rules, we supported the
definition that CMS used.  While CMS may want to revisit the definition of
community for 1915(c) waivers, this issue should not continue to delay
progress on finalizing the CFC rules.

As I have previously explained, our advocacy to get states to select the CFC
Option has come to a near standstill as both the disability community and
states wait for CMS to take final action on these rules.  Further delays in
releasing these rules are unacceptable, and ADAPT calls on the Obama
administration to release these rules by March 23, 2012.  We have waited long
enough to FREE OUR PEOPLE!

NATIONAL ADAPT MAILING LIST - Adapt Community Choice Act List http://www.adapt.org