AHCA Applauds Senate For Focusing On Access To High Quality Long Term Care
AHCA president and CEO Bruce Yarwood said, "All of our nation's frail, elderly, and persons with disabilities - from those who need a high level of skilled care to those who would benefit from home care - should receive quality health care in the least restrictive and most appropriate setting."
"Those of us representing persons with physical and/or mental challenges concur that there should be a comprehensive national policy that addresses the long term health care needs of all citizens," continued Yarwood. "America needs a more compassionate and effective health care policy that provides adequate funding for services across the health care spectrum."
The American Health Care Association has long argued that effective public policy should include a broad, comprehensive national strategy to address the long term health care needs of all citizens - and recognize the need for and value of living arrangements that include adequately funded facilities, as well as home and community-based settings.
"Therefore, the creation of a new mandatory Medicaid entitlement as proposed in the Community Choice Act of 2007," Yarwood explained, "would threaten optional state Medicaid programs, such as intermediate care facilities for persons with mental retardation, by diverting funds away from services that are already woefully underfunded by Medicaid. There also may be insufficient governmental oversight of the settings where these services and supports are provided - particularly in regard to care quality assurance."
The 1999 landmark U.S. Supreme Court Olmstead case noted, "nothing in the ADA condones termination of institutional settings for persons unable to handle or benefit form community settings." The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services offered subsequent guidance to states regarding Olmstead that noted in part, "individuals with disabilities and their families [be afforded] the opportunity to make informed choices regarding how their needs can best be met in community or institutional settings."
"AHCA does not believe there is one best care setting for persons with disabilities, rather that each situation should be evaluated to insure the proper care is given in the proper setting," stated the AHCA president.
Legislation similar to, and with the same intent as the Community Choice Act has been introduced in every Congress since the 105th session. Based on the original 1997 legislation, the Congressional Budget Office scored the proposed new entitlement program between $10 and $20 billion in federal funding per year.
"The federal government should not legislate the shifting of already insufficient Medicaid funds away from frail, elderly, seriously disabled citizens and persons with mental retardation or developmental disabilities," concluded Yarwood.
The American Health Care Association represents nearly 11,000 non-profit and proprietary facilities dedicated to continuous improvement in the delivery of professional and compassionate care provided daily by millions of caring employees to 1.5 million of our nation's frail, elderly and disabled citizens who live in nursing facilities, assisted living residences, subacute centers and homes for persons with mental retardation and developmental disabilities.
American Health Care Association
AHCA salutã Senatului pentru concentrându-se cu privire la accesul la o înaltã calitate de îngrijire pe termen lung - AHCA Applauds Senate For Focusing On Access To High Quality Long Term Care - articole medicale engleza - startsanatate