ALS patients continue to face obstacle after obstacle when attempting to secure the Medicare home health services benefits they are CURRENTLY entitled to. Why? While we have been successful in educating the ALS community that Medicare does, in fact, provide home health services coverage (including home health aide hours), the recent increased demand of these services has uncovered rampant, widespread challenges in securing them. Such experiences have been reported to various entities dating back at least two years, but the alarming scale and magnitude of the problem was not fully understood until now. Particularly problematic are Medicare certified home health agencies. They simply are not providing the services they are contractually obligated to provide to qualifying Medicare recipients. Their excuses for denial of services to ALS patients include, but are not limited to: 1) They do not have adequate staffing; 2) Medicare does not have a home health services benefit; 3) Medicare does not pay for home health aide services, and, 4) Medicare does not provide long-term care - only short-term, rehabilitative care. Added to this is the unchecked authority they have in determining whether or not they will accept a patient in the first place, as well as the type and quantity of services they are willing to provide. There is a solution. The Center for Medicare Advocacy can correct this problem. They possess the expertise, reputation and dedication necessary to achieve results quickly. An expansion of the existing ALS Medicare Access Project (ALS-MAP) collaboration with the ALS Association has already been discussed privately. All that is needed to proceed is the funding necessary to fulfill the expanded scope of work proposal. We need to act now. The ALS Association must demonstrate they understand the urgency of this situation by fully funding the Center for Medicare Advocacy's proposal immediately. This is the single most important thing they can do in the short-term for the ALS community it serves. Any organization of their size sets aside emergency funds for unforeseen circumstances, and this qualifies as an emergency. Whether or not they act promptly, in all frankness, determines their relevancy and effectiveness in being the preeminent, non-profit voice for the ALS community. Once this matter has been resolved satisfactorily, it will be time to move on to the next endeavor, which is the expansion of future Medicare home health services benefits to be comparable to or greater than those provided through Medicaid. Fasten your seatbelts, folks!!! Please continue to sign and share this petition. Much love and gratitude…