Hi friends,
This morning, I was on a call with the legislative director for my Assembly representative to talk about the Home Care Savings & Reinvestment Act. There were two other constituents on the call.
One of them, Jake, told the incredible story of how he and a small group of neighbors have been providing personal assistance to an elderly neighbor with diabetes through the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP). This is the same program that the Governor is hoping to cut in order to save money.
We called on our Assembly member to oppose the cuts to CDPAP and to co-sponsor the Home Care Savings and Reinvestment Act, which would save billions of dollars annually by cutting out the Managed Long Term Care companies that function as middlemen, keeping home care wages low as they take profits.
It is Jake’s story that I can’t get out of my mind. What a person! Jake lives around the corner from me. And Howard, the man he cares for, is also my neighbor.
Last night, the President mentioned home care in the opening of his address:
“Imagine the future of home care and elder care,” Biden said. “And for people living with disabilities, [if] they can stay in their homes and family caregivers can finally get the pay they deserve.”
At the national level, the President recognizes the need to make sure that money for home care reaches the people providing care.
First proposed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in April of 2023, the “ensuring access to Medicaid services” rule would force providers to put 80% of reimbursement for home- and community-based services toward caregiver wages.
This spring, the rule will be finalized. Meanwhile, we work here on the state level.
Take quick action with Consumer Directed Action to let the Governor and your legislators know that home care matters.
It’s good to know that so many people are out there, organizing and building community. Earlier this week, before I even asked folks to let me know what they were up to, I heard from Mare Berger, formerly of Brooklyn, who is behind this beautiful initiative:
If you have not written to the president this week, do it today. You can congratulate him on his speech and push him to do more to end the catastrophe in Gaza.
Tell the president that military aid to Israel must end.
Join CodePink in urging women in the Progressive Caucus to vote no on aid to Israel.
with love,
L