CALL TO ACTION: Urge Ways and Means Members to Fund Vital Programs!

The Senate version of House Bill 1001, the State’s biennial budget, passed out of the Senate on Tuesday, April 16 by a vote of 40-8.  The current version of the budget includes a new fund called a Providers’ Rate Stabilization fund and includes a $10,000,000 appropriation per year for this fund.

The fund, as it is currently written in the budget:

• Will be used by FSSA, at their discretion, to address rate issues in all their programs across the three divisions – Division of Disability and Rehabilitative Services, Division of Aging, and Division of Mental Health and Addiction
• Funds shall be used for wages and benefits of direct care staff, therapists, and service coordinators
• Funds are available to providers who serve people on the Family Support waiver, the Community Integration and Habilitation waiver, home health, First Steps, and any other provider
• Preference will be given to those services that have a completed rate study

​While the language speaks to programs that serve the IDD population, the funds will be spent at FSSA’s discretion and are not limited to the programs listed in the budget.

INARF believes this language is the Senate’s attempt to address our rate issues, however, by giving FSSA the ability to spend the appropriation, our concern is our top priorities – DSP wages, VR, First Steps, and Case Management – will not be addressed.

Therefore, we are asking you to reach out to House Ways and Means members at the email addresses below and express your concern over the language included in the Senate budget.

OUR ASK:

• Fund the DSP wage increase
• Fund VR rate increase
• Fund the First Steps program
• Fund Case Management rate increases

Emails to Ways and Means committee members should be sent using your inbox and please respond to this email and indicate who you emailed and any responses you receive.
 
Representative Bradford Barrett - [email protected]
Chairman Timothy Brown - [email protected]
Representative Chris Campbell - [email protected]
Representative Robert Cherry - [email protected]
Representative Edward Clere - [email protected]
Representative Steven Davisson - [email protected]
Representative Edward DeLaney - [email protected]
Representative Carey Hamilton - [email protected]
Representative Earl Harris Jr. - [email protected]
Representative Robert Heaton - [email protected]
Representative Dave Heine - [email protected]
Chairman Todd Huston -[email protected]
Representative Jack Jordan - [email protected]
Representative Michael Karickhoff - [email protected]
Representative Sheila Klinker - [email protected]
Representative Daniel Leonard - [email protected]
Representative Peggy Mayfield - [email protected]
Representative Sharon Negele - [email protected]
Representative Gregory Porter - [email protected]
Representative Cherrish Pryor - [email protected]
Representative Holli Sullivan - [email protected]
Representative Jeffrey Thompson- [email protected]
Representative Melanie Wright - [email protected]
Representative Cindy Ziemke - [email protected]