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State prison plans: mental therapy or torture?
‘Progressive’ City Council abuses vulnerable persons—and free speech
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State didn't seek Federal money for independent living
November 1st at 11:59 pm was the deadline to apply for a Money Follows The Person grant, Federal monies designated to keep disabled people and elders out of nursing homes. The Romney-Healey administration and the state Medicaid agency didn't apply for this grant. The State won't be eligible to apply for these funds again until 2011. Green-Rainbow candidate for Lieutenant Governor Martina Robinson and her Gubernatorial running-mate, Grass Ross, called a press conference on the State House steps two days before the deadline to call attention to this outrage and encourage the necessary parties to rectify their behavior.
Even though we are behind in scheduling this grant, we have a whole year to figure out what we're going to do before we actually have to implement the program.
As someone who's dedicated to getting people out of nursing homes and other institutions, I wish our turnaround time could be shorter. But a year is better than nothing, which is what we'll get if we don't apply.
We invited folks to meet us at the steps of the State House at 11:30am.
From remarks at the State House
I was and still am a disability rights and home care advocate. I myself live in my own apartment, with state provided home care services for 16 hours out of a 24-hour day. Even with my great amount of hours, I still manage to save the State 24,508 dollars every year over the cost of placing me in a nursing home on the State’s bill….
According to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 8200 nursing home residents in Massachusetts want to leave their nursing home palcements and move into the community, where they will be able to control when they aet, sleep, and do other activities most of us take for granted.
If all these people needed the same level of care that I do, and bearing in mind that most people need less, the State would save $200,956,600, each and every year.…
I’m here to talk about "Money Follows the Person,” a federally funded grant for which the State of Massachusetts is eligible, as long as we turn in the application materials by 11:59 PM on November 1.
Yet our State Medicaid agency has decided not to do that, and our Governor has decided not to make them—leaving us one of only ten states not applying for their fair share of 1.75 billion dollars to keep disabled people and elders out of nursing homes and other institutions and to transition those alrady in them into community living, if that’s their choice.
Massachusetts residents will pay for this program anyway, because we pay Federal taxes….
I feel that every person, regardless of their disability, should have the same opportunities I do to experience life to the fullest and I hope that people will call Governor Romney, Lieutenant Goevernor Healey, and the State’s Medicaid director to make sure that we have something filed by November 1 in order to ensure that whoever is elected Governor will be able to access the “Money Follows the Person” funds, which activists, myself included, have spent many years fighting for.
[Robinson then described the application process and how it could still be done in the remnaining two days if necessary.]
To complain to the State about the failure to file for “Money Folows the Person,” the Governor’s number is (888) 870-7770. State Medicaid Director, Beth Waldman: (617) 573-1770. Kerry Healey’s campaign HQ: (617) 523-0844.
Any questions, please call Martina Robinson, Lieutenant Governor candidate, at 413-210-6301.