Medicaid Waivers for the Developmentally Disabled

If Congress, or the new Administration, would remove the "institutional bias" from the Medicaid program by making home and community-based services either an entitlement or an optional service states would not be able to maintain waiting list for these much needed and cost-effective services. Only waiver programs under Medicaid allow states to keep a waiting list. Services that are considered entitlements or optional MUST be made available to ALL eligibles. So I suggest a national advocacy effort to urge Congress, or the Administration, to make this long needed changes. Home and community-based services are no longer a test or "pilot"; they are proven effective and cost efficient. Anyone have ideas for a Congress person who might sponsor such legislation? Or perhaps advocacy efforts should be directed at the new Administration to issue a new rule calling for this change? - by Kay Marcel