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Shame on The Republican Party 
The GOP ignores Republican values of MiCASSA. 

Randy AlexanderThe ADAPT Community expresses its dismay that the Republican leadership present at the 2006 Southern Republican Leadership Conference has once again failed American people by placing profits above freedom. The entire nation needs to be aware that the Republican Party continues to create and maintain policies which support institutional placement for American seniors and people with disabilities who need long term care. The leadership trumpets the importance of freedom, morals, and fiscal responsibility, but it is immoral is it to lock up hundreds of thousands of Americans in institutions and nursing homes simply for being disabled. It is fiscally irresponsible to force the American taxpayer to shoulder the significant burden of Medicaid-financed institutionalization when states like Texas, Kansas and Arkansas have proven that people in need of long-term care can have their needs met in the freedom of their own homes and communities at a substantial savings over institutional placement. 

The Republican Party should be ashamed. Families are in crisis, baby boomers are aging, and the decision to place a loved in a nursing home or institution for lack of home and community-based services only tears the family structure apart further. The overwhelming majority of men, women, and children who need nursing care, attendant services, or other supports to function independently would prefer to have these services provided in their own homes and the Republican Party must take action on this critical issue.

Nursing homes are the most expensive and least desirable form of long-term care.If this Republican leadership wants solutions, they can join Senator Arlen Specter, Representative John Shimkus, and many others in Republican support MiCASSA (SB 401, HB 910). MiCASSA establishes a national program of community-based attendant services and supports for people with disabilities, regardless of age or disability. This bill would allow the dollars used to fund long-term care to be used in the institution or the community, and any individual who is entitled to nursing home or other institutional services would have the choice as to where and how these services are provided. The two million American men, women, and children currently trapped in nursing homes and other institutions across the nation would finally have the choice and freedom to come home.

The Republican leadership, starting with Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, must put their strongly held values into action and give open support to MiCASSA and other means of ending the Medicaid institutional bias. MiCASSA and other initiatives to extend real freedom, choice, and equality to all Americans with disabilities must be a critical part of the Republican platform and part of important public discussions with the American people, both on and off the campaign trail. Until this happens, the Republicans will continue to shame not only themselves but also the values of freedom and equality that this great country was founded on.

For more information, contact Randy Alexander at (901) 726-6404.

DEFEND FREEDOM. PASS MICASSA NOW.

Sincerely yours,

The ADAPT Community

Free Our People!
www.mcil.org 
Randy Alexander
1633 Madison Avenue
Memphis TN 38104
(901) 726-6404

MCIL Journal Index 2006

Date Name
12/30/2006 Reform Commission Issues Final Report
12/24/2006 HHS Launches New Website Promoting Long-Term Care Planning
12/20/2006 TennCare Budget
12/19/2006 COMBATTING AUTISM ACT
12/15/2006 NCD Commends Adoption of UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities
12/9/2006 Medicaid Prescription Drug Plan
12/5/2006 Congress Extends Mental Health Parity Provision for Additional Year
11/20/2006 Housing Victory - Steve Gold
11/16/2006 ADAPT NASMD Action.
11/14/2006 Testimony to the Medicaid Commission by Executive Director John Lancaster.
11/1/2006 ADAPT CLAIMS ANOTHER VICTORY WITH STARBUCKS!
10/31/2006 ACTION ALERT: STARBUCKS.
10/23/2006 Report Refutes Claims of Elections Fraud.
10/13/2006 You're Invited to MCIL’s Annual Open House & Silent Auction.
10/6/2006 Housing Vouchers and Money Follows the Person.
9/22/2006 Rochester ADAPT hits Congressman Kuhl and VP Cheney.
9/16/2006 No Excuses: ADAPT Action, Washington DC September 2006.
9/13/2006 ADA Notification Act Hearing.
9/9/2006 The Evil Bed Tax.
8/27/2006 Priority Components for Inclusion in a Integrated Managed Care System.
8/22/2006 MEDICAID LONG TERM CARE DATA.
8/16/2006 CHALK IT UP!
8/11/2006 Info for Travelers with Disabilities.
8/4/2006 Reasonable Accommodations and Federally-funded Housing.
7/27/2006 NEW EEOC PUBLICATION ADDRESSES EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS OF PEOPLE WITH HEARING LOSS.
7/24/2006 Harkin Introduces Bill to Improve Medical Access for People with Disabilities.
7/23/2006 White House Website Violates Federal Law.
7/6/2006 Change is Happening: Another Look at FY 2005 MA Expenditures.
6/30/2006 Alaska Supreme Court Strikes Down Forced Psychiatric Drugging Procedures.
6/21/2006 McClellan Addresses NCIL.
6/17/2006 Broadband Legislation Update.
6/6/2006 Has the ADA Made a Difference in Your Life?
5/27/2006 Affordable health insurance for low-income and uninsurable people.
5/23/2006 Nursing Home Waiver in Jeopardy!
5/17/2006 ADAPT wins concessions from HUD.
5/12/2006 More Than 50 Million Americans Report Some Level of Disability.
4/28/2006 Disability Advocates: Texas "Futile Care" Law Should Be Euthanized.
4/16/2006 I'm Uninsurable and Cover Tennessee Won't Cover Me!
4/6/2006 Update on the Community Choices Act.
4/1/2006 3RD Annual Free Yo Momma Day!
3/30/2006 Where is HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson?
3/27/2006 Governor's Cover Tennessee plan Fails.
3/22/2006 From the Nashville ADAPT Action.
3/10/2006 Shame on The Republican Party.
2/17/2006 Community Choices Act of 2006.
2/6/2006 TennCare Reform - By Sen Steve Cohen.
2/1/2006 ACCESS ACROSS AMERICA.
1/25/2006 AAPD Final Letter to Senate on Alito Nomination.
1/20/2006 Microenterprise Training.
1/17/2006 Disability Activists Criticize Administration and Supreme Court.
1/10/2006 TennCare Leadership Training.

 

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