Advocacy
Our Motto is Advocacy Leads to Change
Advocacy Update on Cutbacks to Pennsylvania Medical Assistance Transportation Program
During the most recent PA Transportation Alliance conference call the representatives from PennDOT were discussing this subject.
Throughout the state the transportation providers who handle MATP trips are also PwD (Persons with Disabilities) providers. The 18% cut back is real. Some counties and therefore providers will run out of funding for MATP between February and April.
PennDOT has told those providers that they cannot "automatically" shift people to PwD for trips that would have been MATP funded. However, they have asked providers for an estimate of what PwD funds would be necessary to cover the short fall under MATP. This tells me that they understand the dilemma they face when MATP consumers who also would be qualified for PwD begin to get certified and ask for trips formerly funded by MATP.
The Alliance is writing a letter to PennDOT asking for PwD budget information for the last three years to see if there is a trend of surpluses. They are also considering a position on the MATP vs. PwD trips. I was asked to draft that and here is what I submitted.
"It is our understanding and position that the two main attributes of the PwD program as it was implemented could be described as follows.
As long as a potential rider had a disability as defined by the ADA they were qualified for a trip under the PwD program as long as they completed the PwD application process with the provider. In addition, they were eligible for any trip purpose under the PwD program that could not be paid for from another funding source.
With this in mind and in consideration that some providers will run out of MATP funding during the fiscal year, it is our understanding and position that a rider who is qualified for PwD should be able to have medical trips paid for from the PwD program that were formerly provided under MATP if a provider no longer has MATP funds.
It would be our advice to people with disabilities who currently use MATP for medical trips to qualify themselves for the PwD program as soon as possible in order to avoid any interruptions in their medical care when MATP funds no longer exist for their transportation provider."
I think it behooves TRIPIL to let our MATP consumers know it would be in their best interest to apply for PwD if they have not already done so. Many of them may have not used PwD at all. They may have just used transportation providers for MATP.
NO MORE TALK
Something has gone horribly wrong in Harrisburg and the impact has been deadly for seniors and people with disabilities. Our elected officials have appointed staff to policy-making roles who have made decisions that have negatively impacted Home & Community-Based Services for all people who chose to live in the community rather than an institutionalized setting.
PA ADAPT and the disability community call for positive and caring action!
- Approve services plans in a timely manner and save money! Our homes not nursing homes! People overwhelmingly wish to live at home instead of in more costly institutions.
- People are dying waiting for services in the community and in nursing homes. Give us the Community first option Now to allow people with disabilities to choose independence and not life in an institution! NO MORE WAITING LISTS!!
- Pennsylvania needs a real Olmstead Plan now and PA ADAPT wants to help you write it! Let’s take solid steps to begin the process.
- Stop going backward and continue to rebalance our long term care system. OUR HOMES NOT NURSING HOMES!
- Reinstate benefits for people with autism and cognitive disabilities now! Cuts to SSI and Medicaid need to be reinstated now! All people with disabilities who depend on these life lines want home and community based services and need them provided based on functional needs.
- Bring back the Community Living Advisory Council; disabled people are experts on what they need in the community. We demand a seat at the table now! NOTHING ABOUT US WITHOUT US!
Go to Long Term Care Links
My Medicaid Matters Washington DC Campaign
September 2011 My Medicaid Matters Campaign Washington DC
News: Attendant Care 
Kate Blaker's Holiday Speech
Happy celebration every one.
Most of you know me. But for those who are new I am Kate Blaker and have held several positions here. At the present, I work with the Nursing Home Transition program. I also assist consumers to advocate for maintaining their services.
Recently, our elected officials have appointed staff to policy making roles that have made decisions that negatively impacted Home and Community Based Services. That means that the people who chose to live in the community rather than an institutionalized setting have had their services changed in one way another.
I belong to PA ADAPT and we have visited officials to call for a positive and caring response. On Tuesday, people from the area and along with other advocates from across the state traveled to Harrisburg to support state providers in a rally held at the capitol. We distributed a flyer to explain our concerns.
These are the demands:
- Approved services plans in a timely manner and save money! Our homes not nursing homes!! People overwhelming wish to live at home instead of costly institutions.
- People are dying waiting for services in the community and in nursing homes. Give us the Community First option NOW to allow people with disabilities to choose independence and not a life in an institution.NO MORE WAITING LIST!
- Pennsylvanians need a real Olmstead Act now and PA ADAPT want to help you write it!
- Stop going backward and continue to rebalance our long term care system.
- All people with disabilities need home and community based services and these services should be based on functional needs. People with autism and cognitive disabilities should not lose access to home and community based services.
- Bring back the Community Living Advisory Council; disabled people are experts on what they need in the community. We demand a seat at the table.
You all have heard that call to serve your country: Uncle Sam Needs You!
Well I have a better one: You Need You!
It sounds a little off. But You are the only one that can advocate for YOUR services. TRIPIL can assist you with the right tools. I hope to see you at TRIPIL and at our next ADAPT meeting. But I ask you not to wait. ACT NOW!! Pick up a phone to call your local representative and let know him that you want his support, write a letter to your local newspaper, and there are dozen of other ways that you can advocate for your services. What you do now will definitely reflect what PA will look like in the future
HOTNEWS
RAISE YOUR VOICE!
Consumers of Long Term Care Services for under aged 60 STILL DO NOT have approvals from OLTL for their services for this State Fiscal Year after 4 months into the new year. Without an approval, their services cannot be paid for by the State of PA so they may be cut off entirely when that provider can no longer conduct business or make payroll. At TRIPIL Services we are watching daily as the tally of approved budgets comes in. Right now TRIPIL Services has 42 approved and we still have 70 consumers still at risk of having their services cancelled. If you are in that group, please appeal to the State to get YOUR service plan approved.
It is important that you know about a trend of delays and indecisions in the Office of Long Term Living (OLTL) in Harrisburg that could affect TRIPIL’s ability to serve you in the near future.
It is also important that you know that this trend may affect your ability to remain in your chosen home and to receive home and community based services.
All of the delays and indecisions involve the process of approving the budgets that serve you and every other person under the OLTL Home and Community Based Services Waiver programs.
By delaying budget approvals for each person like you, money that OLTL would normally send to TRIPIL to pay your attendants and to pay for your service coordination and support staff is not being sent to TRIPIL.
Being in the situation of paying for services without being paid back, TRIPIL’s financial resources will not last forever, and its efforts may not be successful unless you are concerned enough or angry enough to help.
TRIPIL, as a leader in independent living advocacy, is committed to your independence and is committed to using all of its resources to reverse the trend of delays and to serve you as long as possible.
But we need your help.
Call or write your local state representative and state senator and tell them this:
"The Office of Long Term Living is threatening my independence. I receive home and community based services under a waiver program. OLTL is delaying approval of my budget and funding that allows me to stay in my home in my community. Without these funds I could be forced into a nursing facility and costing Pennsylvania more money and losing my right to be free. I want something done."
If you have questions or need assistance in contacting your legislators, please contact John Lorence at 724-223-5115.
Thank you.
Maximus was confronted by frustrated applicants for enrollment service and other Advocates at TRIPIL, June 14, 2011.
May - July 2011
HOTNEWS
February 17, 2011
Advocacy takes many forms:
- Letter Writing to express how bad policy affects us personally
- Rallies and Marches through city streets
- Speaking up at Public Hearings
- Protests and Sit-Ins in policy maker's offices
- Voting - See Election Day Emergency Survival Kit
TRIPIL brings people together who share a common problem that they believe singles them out due to their disability. The community members are invited to talk about the causes and solutions to the problem. Other people are recruited to the process until there are people who care enough to form a plan of action. More people are recruited continuously as the advocacy begins.
See Our Community Action Plan
Working together, we can take on the big issues, like:
- Finding accessible rental housing
- Buying accessible housing
- Making the current home more accessible
- Solving transportation problems
- Getting skills for a job
- Keeping a job
- Voting and Politics
- Recreation and sports
Roland1 used to tell us, "If you take what they give you, You deserve what you get."
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