This is huge news! This past Friday, New York Senator Schumer introduced the Community First Choice amendment to the Senate Finance Committee’s health care reform!

This is the closest we’ve ever been to getting the language of the Community Choice Act into federal law. It’s not the “whole enchilada,” because it wouldn’t make it the law of the land, but it would give every state a financial incentive to try community first, consumer directed services and supports based on functional need, not age or diagnosis. This is a very big deal!

The next step is to urge the Senate Finance Committee to pass the amendment. We need every Senator on the Committee to hear from constituents in their state, urging them to support the Community First Choice Amendment.

It’s time to take extra steps that many of us may not have tried before. We need to call on our friends and family who live in those key states across the country to call their Senator on the Senate Finance Committee and urge them to support the amendment.

Have a friend in Kentucky? An aunt in Florida? Have them call their senator TODAY and say:

“I am calling because NY Senator Schumer just introduced the Community First Choice amendment to the health care bill and I want my Senator [name] to help pass this amendment! Everyone should have a choice to get home care and not be stuck in a nursing facility.”

[More info] “The amendment would give states increased federal Medicaid matching funds for providing attendant services and supports as an alternative to nursing facilities and institutions.”

Below is a list of all of the Senate Finance Committee members and their D.C. phone numbers. (If the Senator is already a co-sponsor of CCA—as noted below—then they should be the first to support this amendment!)

Arizona:
Jon Kyl (R)
(202) 224-4521

Arkansas:
Blanche Lincoln (D)
(202) 224-4843

Delaware:
Tom Carper (D)
(202) 224-2441

Florida:
Bill Nelson (D)
(202) 224-5274

Idaho:
Mike Crapo (R)
(202) 224-6142

Iowa:
Chuck Grassley (R)
(202) 224-3744

Kansas:
Pat Roberts (R) [CCA CO-SPONSOR!]
(202) 224-4774

Kentucky:
Jim Bunning (R)
(202) 224-4343

Maine:
Olympia Snowe (R)
(202) 224-5344

Massachusetts:
John F. Kerry (D) [CCA CO-SPONSOR!]
(202) 224-2742

Michigan:
Debbie Stabenow (D) [CCA CO-SPONSOR!]
(202) 224-4822

Montana:
Max Baucus (D) [Chair of Sen. Finance Committee]
(202) 224-2651

Nevada:
John Ensign (R)
(202) 224-6244

New Jersey:
Robert Menendez (D) [CCA CO-SPONSOR!]
(202) 224-4744

New Mexico:
Jeff Bingaman (D)
(202) 224-5521

North Dakota:
Kent Conrad (D)
(202) 224-2043

Oregon:
Ron Wyeden (D)
(202) 224-5244

Texas:
John Cornyn (R)
(202) 224-2934

Utah:
Orrin Hatch (R)
(202) 224-5251

Washington:
Maria Cantwell (D)
(202) 224-3441

West Virginia:
John D. Rockefeller, IV (D)
(202) 224-6472

Wyoming:
Mike Enzi (R)
(202) 224-3424