ADAPT leaves DC After Week of Firsts

[Traveling_Home]

For Immediate Release:
September 17, 2006

For Information Contact:
Bob Kafka 512-431-4085
Marsha Katz 406-544-9504

ADAPT Leaves D.C. After Week of Firsts

Washington, D.C.--- ADAPT concluded a successful week in Washington with
Friday visits to legislators that resulted in at least one new House
co-sponsor for MiCASSA, the Community Choice Act (H.R. 910, S 401). The
staff of Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL) calling MiCASSA House sponsor, Rep. Danny
Davis (D-IL) office to sign on to the bill, as Rush's ADAPT constituents
listened in, was only one of a number of firsts that occurred during
ADAPT's week in D.C.

Other firsts this week included:

* Joe Shapiro's NPR coverage of the ADAPT action, which included an
interview with Mark McClellan, the head of the Centers for Medicare and
Medicaid. McClellan credited his work with ADAPT as the reason for 'Money
Follows the Person' (MFP).

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6076125
(http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6076125)

* ADAPT targeting the trade associations for the nation's Public Housing
Authorities (PHAs), demanding, and getting, meetings with both the Public
Housing Authorities Directors Association (PHADA) and the Council of Large
Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA.) ADAPT has put the PHAs on notice that
they share responsibility with HUD for assuring people with disabilities
have affordable, accessible, integrated housing

* Taking on the Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) that currently oversee
acute health services in many states, and which are beginning to take on
long-term services as well. ADAPT will be meeting with the CEO of
America's Health Insurance Plans, an MCO trade association, to get a
commitment that AHIP members won't contract with states to ration
long-term services and supports in order to balance their budgets.

* Garnering support for MiCASSA (H.R. 910, S 401) from the civil
rights-oriented National Catholic Partnership on Disability (NCPD). After
meeting with ADAPT, the NCPD wrote and sent a letter supporting passage of
MiCASSA to the co-sponsors in both the House and Senate.

* Getting a commitment from Kim Kendrick, HUD's Assistant Secretary for
Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, to make sure her boss, HUD Secretary
Alphonso Jackson, keeps his promise to contact the PHAs about designating
Section 8 vouchers for Medicaid-eligible people with disabilities who are
coming out of shelters, nursing homes and other institutions.

* ADAPT conducting its first Youth Summit, prior to the ADAPT Action, and
having a general emphasis on youth throughout the week. Among the youth
attending the action were disability rights filmmaker Eric Clow, from
California; Candice Clark, from West Virginia, a member of the West
Virginia Youth Disability Caucus that got legislation passed this year
creating a Disability History Week in West Virginia; Eric and Andrew
Roybal, brothers from Colorado who have written and recorded the
first-ever disability rights rap song; Colin Olenick, a member of the
Kansas Youth Leadership Network; Jamie, fresh out of a Georgia rehab
facility; Sarah Watkins, a University of Michigan undergrad, who has spent
most of 2006 researching the history and non-violent organizing strategies
of ADAPT; Lisa Navarette of Texas; Paul Daye from Philadelphia; and Amber
Smock of Chicago, one of the Youth Summit Organizers.

* The Kansas City Star newspaper following ADAPT youth Colin Olenick from
Overland Park, Kansas through the week.

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/15531863.htm
(http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/15531863.htm)

Colin's congressman, Rep. Dennis Moore (D-KS) has been a consistent and
early co-sponsor of MiCASSA legislation.

* ADAPT faxing a Thank-you for passing 'Money Follows the Person' to
Republican National Committee Chair, Ken Mehlman, while also occupying the
GOP offices to get a meeting with Mehlman. ADAPT wants Republican support
for two additional measures that will assist states to successfully
implement MFP and then make it permanent, namely 'Access Across America'
the housing initiative that will assure people with disabilities have
adequate affordable, accessible, integrated housing as they leave nursing
homes, shelters, and other institutions; and MiCASSA, the Community Choice
Act, which would remove the institutional bias from Medicaid, and make
permanent the choice of persons with disabilities to live in their own
homes and communities and still have their services and supports paid for
by Medicaid.

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