Medicade reforms of a large, beautiful bill act will not affect community-based programs for people with disabilities; Instead, they address and addressed the disqualified recipients, administrative frauds and addresses Competent-body adults who do not want to work,
But to strengthen the encouragement for people with disabilities should be done more so that their communities live, live inside and flourish.
As a lawyer, who has fought for services to liberate people with institutional warehousing for almost half a century, I can write without any equality, writing that big Congress care is less effective and much more expensive than any house or community-based system. Funding should be allocated in a more human and utilitarian way when talking about community programs.
When President Ronald Reagan signed the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981, the federal government recognized home and community-based care as an alternative to expensive institutions. Although the idea was to save money, Bill gave rise to unexpected advantages to encourage states with innovative leadership to transfer services instead of paying claims.
This Sea-Change enabled states like New Jersey and New York to close institutions and take people back to their communities. In addition, these reforms caused a rush of cases against institutional misuse, which enabled more rapid changes for community placements and allowed the disabled to flourish in small houses.
I worked in New Jersey when he had many more institutions that now do. In 1981, around 9,000 people lived in institutions. Today, almost remained 3,000 people living in the remaining five institutions And Private Nursing Home Almost at cost $ 450,000 per person per year in the state,
Over the years, I have visited the state -run institutions in Corpus Christie, L. Paso, and Dallas, which can make thousands of people with disabled people who could and live in their communities. Most funds are used in Texas People of the house in institutionsWhich can spend about half a million dollars per person each year. In comparison, a person receiving community services, such as host homes, costs the cost of only $ 54,000 per year. DeinstussionTulationalization in Texas is slow, and in recent years, the number of people transferred from institutions in the community is Rejected a lot,
Unfortunately, for encouragement for close institutions, local MLAs are intent on keeping them open to protect the largest employer in their districts. This is a difficult decision, but it requires political will to do the right thing. Stop keeping our weakest in institutions, and allow them to live in our communities and live a better life.
Community-based programs that support parents in providing care of homes provide invaluable opportunities for people with disabilities to stay connected to places they call homes.
Now we need the federal government to work with states and providers and make sure that our weakest people are given quality care. We have taken steps in this direction, but President Trump has a unique opportunity to lead our family to ensure that, friends and neighbors have not been closed in institutions, but allowed to achieve care that they need and the opportunities for life in communities that they live.
I have been encouraged that Trump and Congress completed this law, and I hope they will help them because they improve the old ways of taking care of people with disabilities.
Robert Stack is a national non-profit organization, community option, Inc. The founder, president and CEO of is, which develops housing and employment for 6,000 people disabled in 12 states. Stack has been a national leader in a constant struggle to improve the lives of intellectual and developmental disabled people.
