The Arc’s Public Policy work promotes and protects the rights of people with I/DD by advocating on a broad range of issues that affect their lives at the local, state, and federal levels.
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Home and Community Based Services Access Act (HAA)
HCBS Access Act 1-Pager 12.15.20
The Home and Community-Based Services Access Act (HAA) is a draft bill that would help people with disabilities and older adults access the Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) they need in order to live in their community with their friends and family. Medicaid must cover many institutional services, such as nursing homes and long-term care facilities for people with disabilities without waiting lists. This is the “institutional bias” in Medicaid that the disability community has advocated to change for decades.
The Solution: The HCBS Access Act (HAA) would
- eliminate waiting lists. It requires Medicaid to provide HCBS, increases Medicaid funding for HCBS, and
- provides additional grant funding to help states to build the capacity that they need to serve all people who need HCBS. The HAA
- will improve the quality of the direct care workforce and address the decades-long workforce crisis and barriers. In particular, the HHA
- will ensure that the workers that support people with disabilities and older adults—who are disproportionately women of color—are fairly paid. These changes
- will also allow people with disabilities and their families to move from state-to-state and still be able to access crucial HCBS services. Finally, the HAA
- will provide the federal Medicaid resources necessary to fulfill the promises of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Supreme Court’s Olmstead decision so that people with disabilities and older adults can live the lives they want in their homes and communities.
UNLOCK Legislative Advocacy Campaign
The Arc Georgia, in partnership with the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities, supports the coordination of The Unlock the Waiting Lists! Campaign, which advocates investing in Georgians with disabilities so they and their families can live full lives and contribute to Georgia Communities and the Georgia economy.
Many families have been searching for a way to plan for the future of a child with severe disabilities. While they are able to save for the educational needs of their other children through “529” college tuition plans, they find those plans do not fit the needs of their child with severe disabilities. The ABLE Act (S.313 / H.R.647) gives individuals with disabilities and their families access to accounts that would allow individual choice and control while protecting eligibility for Medicaid, SSI, and other important federal benefits for people with disabilities.
Employment First Georgia (EFG) is a statewide resource promoting innovative, customized employment practice. Each individual will be supported to pursue his or her own unique path to work, a career, or his or her contribution to participation in community life. EFG provides technical assistance and consultation to individuals and their “team” (family, job coach, etc.)