The Fight is Not Over - End Waiting Lists for People with Developmental Disabilities

by Renee Beauregard

Published May 19, 2009 @ 06:35PM PT

The fight to eliminate waiting lists for people with developmental disabilities did not end with our Change.org idea to fully fund the Medicaid Waiver program.  We are now promoting a petition to end waiting lists.

Sign the petition at:

http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/noewait.html

It reads:

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

Help us to promote the petition on all social media.  Our goal is to have 500,000 signatures in 6 months.