- Target:
- Family of, professionals, friends and individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities
- Region:
- United States of America
- Website:
- www.noewait.net
Approximately 4 million Americans have developmental disabilities. Some children with high needs, and others at age 21 move into the special needs and adult services category and should receive services through "Home and Community-based Waivers." In almost all states waivers are not fully funded. This results in waitlists and lack of portability of services from one state to another and one county to another.
The waitlist time periods can be anywhere from five to thirty years long (or more), depending upon the state and the type of service needed, such as job services, a community-based program, intensive medical needs, or a secure home in which to live.
Hundreds of thousands of individuals are on waitlists for Waiver services. Few families can afford to pay out-of-pocket for these services (an average of $35,000 - $75,000) per year for host or group home placements because parents have had to leave careers to care for their children and pay for large medical bills.
This petition is designed to get the attention and action by National Leaders and the President to resolve this problem.
A Resolution:
Health Care Reform Must Eliminate Waitlists and
Allow for the Continuation/Portability of Services Across State Lines
Submitted to the President of the United States and Congress
WE HEREBY:
RECOGNIZE that across the country hundreds of thousands of people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities languish on “waiting lists” for services and supports and cannot move freely from state to state once they acquire services, as they then go to the bottom of the waiting lists in their new state;
RECOGNIZE that the failure to provide funding for vital and critical services and supports creates waitlists that require years to climb to the top of the list;
RECOGNIZE that the failure to provide services and supports can lead to the loss of skills, unemployment, isolation, and family crises including serious emotional, physical health problems and premature death;
RECOGNIZE that the failure to allow for the continuation/portability of services across state lines causes people to lose their supports when they move to another state because of job relocations, military transfers, or the need to take care of a vulnerable family member.
AFFIRM through signature of this resolution that our country’s laws must be changed and federal funds provided to help states eliminate the waitlists and authorize continuation/portability of services and supports;
SEEK SOLUTIONS and LEADERSHIP to solve this critical problem;
URGE the President and Congress to work together to eliminate waitlists and provide continuation/portability to services and supports to this country’s population with intellectual and other developmental disabilities inconjunction with health care reform.
To keep informed on this vital issue, email noewait@noewait.net with the subject, “Keep me informed.” Mail completed petitions to PO Box 411, Parker, CO 80134, fax to 303 689-9221 or scan and email to noewait@noewait.net
You can further help this campaign by sponsoring it
The Eliminate Waitlists for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities petition to Family of, professionals, friends and individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities was written by Denver Fox and is in the category Health at GoPetition.