MCIL News Release Archive
				National ADAPT
				M C I L
				Tennessee ADAPT
				Not Dead Yet!
				B F M S

April 27, 1998

National Disability Rights Conference in Memphis
to emphasize REAL Choice in long-term care

In Tennessee, there are more than 42,000 people living in institutions, many of whom could live in their own home with appropriate services and support. However, the reality is that Tennessee prefers to spend it's public dollars for people with disabilities, including children and older Tennesseeans, on institutions. Tennessee's fiscal effort for community services was 36% below the national average in 1996.

Federal policy and funding patterns over the past 35 years have led to a fragmented long term service and support system that is biased toward nursing homes, large facilities for people with cognitive disabilities, and unnecessary institutionalization for people with mental disabilities. People are forced into nursing homes and other institutions simply because the system doesn't allow them to use Medicaid and other state funds to purchase services in their own homes.

Since 1990, ADAPT has been working to change this institutional bias. The cornerstone of ADAPT's REAL Choice campaign for home and community based services is MiCASA, The Medicaid Community Attendant Services Act of 1997. This legislation was introduced last June by Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, and now has 53 co-sponsors. Congress recently held hearings in Washington, DC, to learn more about the institutional bias in our long term services system. MiCASA would give people REAL choice, by allowing resources that now pay for them to live in a nursing home or other institution to be used where they choose. To most Americans, home is where the heart is. A nursing home is not where any of us want to live. MiCASA for REAL Choice!

Contact:
Tim Wheat

• phone: (901) 726-6404
  
• fax: (901) 726-6521

• phone: (717) 238-0172
• fax: (717) 238-8663

54 million Americans have some level of disability, 26 million people have a severe disability. [Current Population Reports. U.S. Department of Commerce - Census Bureau. Aug. 1997 p. 70-61]

The Memphis Center for Independent Living
1633 Madison Avenue, Memphis, TN 38104
(901) 726-6404 v/tty (901) 726-6521 fax
mcil@mcil.org 

MCIL is a United Way of the Mid-South member Agency

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