The Hill
November 10, 2014, 11:00 am
By Barbara Merrill
The historically underfunded system of services for individuals
with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and the direct support workforce
that is the backbone of home and community services are rarely mentioned in
current policy debates in Washington, D.C. But recent changes in federal
and state government policies to expand health insurance coverage and address
income inequality are increasingly resulting in a Hobson's Choice between
quality services for the people with disabilities or doing right by our
workforce. This can be and should be addressed by the president and
Congress.
(In Oakland County, Michigan alone, funding for the care of those with disabilities and mental illness for the 2014-15 fiscal year has been cut about $22 million. As a consequence, the most vulnerable people in our society will lose the help they need to survive -- Jerry Wolffe, voices of disability columnist)
Direct support workers are the cornerstone of our nation’s
long-term care system, and the quality and stability of this workforce is of
fundamental importance to the well-being of the millions with disabilities that
rely on them for essential care, services and support.
(In Michigan, the average pay for a direct-care worker is $9.06 an hour.--wolffe)
Unfortunately,
insufficient Medicaid funding to providers across the country result in
employee turnover rates currently ranging from 30 percent to 80 percent.
Furthermore, with demand for quality services only accelerating with an aging
baby boomer population, meeting this need will be extremely difficult to
achieve without a committed, stable and well-compensated direct support
workforce — and elected officials who recognize this need.
For nearly 15 years, the American Network of Community Options and
Resources (ANCOR) under its National Advocacy Campaign has pushed to enhance
the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities by
fighting to expand access to the resources needed to recruit, train and retain
a highly qualified and sustainable workforce. We will not have a complete
solution until Congress and the president acts.
(The Macomb-Oakland Regional Center of Clinton Township, Michigan began moving people out of state institutions 40 years ago into their own homes and apartments with community supports. However, all that could come apart if funding continues to be cut.--Wolffe)
Medicaid is essentially the sole source of funding for services
for people with intellectual disabilities and the workforce that enables people
to live and work in their communities. Commercial insurance is virtually
unavailable and private payment is rare. Therefore Mr. President, Congress, we
urge you to work with us to find solutions, and to take immediate action to
revise federal Medicaid rules to ensure that payments to providers are
sufficient to absorb the additional employer costs associated with the ACA,
minimum wage increases, and other actions that increase compensation, benefits
and training requirements for direct support workers.
By working together, your actions can lift up thousands of direct support workers across the country without diminishing or compromising essential community services for people with disabilities.
By working together, your actions can lift up thousands of direct support workers across the country without diminishing or compromising essential community services for people with disabilities.
Merrill is vice president for Policy, and CEO-elect, of the
American Network of Community Options and Resources, based in Alexandria,
Virginia
