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June 19, 2018
Call Your Members of Congress on Friday to Save MFP
Your actions earlier this year to ask Congress to fund the Money Follows the Person (MFP) program (#FundMFP) made a big impact. Now it is time to go all out and make another push to continue the program by supporting the EMPOWER Care Act! Join our National Call-In Day on Friday, June 22, the 19th Anniversary of Olmstead, the Supreme Court case that recognized the right of people with disabilities to live, work, and participate in their communities. Urge your members in Congress to co-sponsor the EMPOWER Care Act!
- Identify your two Senators and your Representative. If you don’t know who they are:
- Go to: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members.
- Using the drop down menu where it says, “Or select a state to list all senators and representatives from that state,” choose your state. As soon as you select your state, your members of Congress will pop up. The page will automatically show your senators. To view your representative, click on the tab titled “Representatives.” Enter your address and click “Find District.”
- Call the Capitol switchboard at (202) 224‐3121. Follow the prompts. If you are unable to get through, please keep trying.
MFP is a Medicaid program that has helped more than 75,000 long-term care consumers move from nursing homes and other institutions to the community. But the MFP program has expired, and without additional funding, every state will stop transitioning new individuals THIS YEAR. You can learn more about MFP and view talking points, by clicking here.
Voices from Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin are particularly needed to save the MFP program.
RSVP to this Facebook event to receive updates throughout the week.
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Tracking Threats to Nursing Home Protections
Since January 2017, the health and safety of nursing home residents has become increasingly imperiled. Nursing home lobbyists have urged the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to eliminate or delay regulations and dramatically reduce enforcement of violations. Unfortunately, CMS has shown a disturbing willingness to follow these lobbyists’ recommendations.
Justice in Aging, with Consumer Voice, and some of our close partners created a tracker of industry lobbying and resulting administrative actions, as well as a series of policy alerts providing more detail about the specific protections weakened or at risk of being weakened by industry lobbying. An online version of the tracker (including a more detailed version) and policy alerts are available on our website. This page will be updated regularly to include future CMS actions.
Please share these materials with others in your network and with your federal legislators to educate them about the dangers nursing home residents are facing.
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Consumer Voice Member Call on Improving Nursing Home Quality Standards
Still waiting to join Consumer Voice as a member or renew your membership? The best time is now! Take advantage of first access to resources and information, such as on our next Member Call on June 21st from 4:00pm - 5:00pm ET, a webinar on Protecting Seniors Through Improving - Not Eroding - Nursing Home Quality Standards. Hear the webinar LIVE, and have an opportunity to ask questions and engage in dialogue with the national expert speakers.
The call will provide background on existing law, including the Nursing Home Reform Law (OBRA ’87) and Affordable Care Act; Trump Administration actions to eliminate protections, such as the ban on mandatory arbitration agreements, and proposed deregulation of Medicare and Medicaid nursing home requirements; the continuing widespread abuse of antipsychotic and other psychotropic drugs; the links between nurse staffing levels and quality; and nursing home financial structures and the rise of private equity models that divert resources away from providing high quality care.
Become a member today to participate in the live call. Questions about your membership? Contact csteier@theconsumervoice.org
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Guardianship Webinar from the National Center on Law & Elder Rights
Join the National Center on Law & Elder Rights on Tuesday, July 10th at 2:00pm ET for a webinar entitled "Overview of Guardianship and Alternatives to Guardianship." This webinar will help lawyers understand a guardian’s responsibility and authority, as well as the roles of other agents, like default health care surrogates, health care agents, representative payees, joint account holders, and authorized signers. The presenters will explain how guardianship and its alternatives are created and terminated, and the responsibilities of individuals serving in different decision-making roles. The webinar will cover the differences between power of attorney and a guardianship or conservatorship; what documents to review to see if a person claiming legal authority has that authority; how voluntary planning can be modified or revoked; and the fundamental elements of guardianship or conservatorship.
Register here.
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Spotlight on Resources
The Consumer Voice and the National Ombudsman Resource Center (NORC) have a multitude of resources available online covering a wide range of long-term care topics. Visit the Consumer Voice website and the NORC website to explore all the available resources. Take a look at this week's highlighted resource:
LGBT Elders Issue Page
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In this Issue
Call Your Members of Congress on Friday to Save MFP
Tracking Threats to Nursing Home Protections
Consumer Voice Member Call on Improving Nursing Home Quality Standards
Guardianship Webinar from the National Center on Law & Elder Rights
Spotlight on Resources
Now Accepting Nominations for 2018 Leadership Awards
Are you looking for a way to recognize a long-term care consumer, long-term care ombudsman, family caregiver, citizen advocate, or another individual for their advocacy on behalf of long-term care consumers? We encourage you to nominate individuals you know that are dedicated to “quality now” and have made significant contributions to improving the lives of long-term care consumers for a Consumer Voice Leadership Award.
Visit our website for additional information about the awards and nomination process. Nominations are due Friday, July 6.
Calendar of Events
Thursday, June 21: Protecting Seniors Through Improving - Not Eroding - Nursing Home Quality Standards, 4pm ET, Consumer Voice Member Call
Friday, June 22: MFP Call-In Day
Tuesday, June 26: Ending Nursing Home Violence Between Residents: Prevention, Intervention, and Advocacy, 3:00pm ET, NORC Webinar
Tuesday, July 10: Overview of Guardianship and Alternatives to Guardianship, 2:00pm ET, Webinar from the National Center on Law & Elder Rights
October: Residents' Rights Month, Speak Up: Know Your Rights and How to Use Them
October 22-24: Consumer Voice Annual Conference, Alexandria, Virginia
Join the conversation and follow us on social media!
Last Week's Most Popular Post:
Thursday June 14:
"One in 5 Medicare patients sent from the hospital to a nursing home boomerang back within 30 days"
Last Week's Most Popular Tweet:
Friday, June 15:
Long-Term Care Resources & News
Read past issues of The Voice here.
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