http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-676210

Washington, DC—Building on protests yesterday at the White House and the Congressional offices of Republican Representatives Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) and Dave Camp (R-Michigan), the national disability rights group ADAPT is now at the Senate offices in the U.S. Capitol, demanding that two Super Committee Senators, Jon Kyl (R-Arizona) and Patrick J. Toomey (R-Pennsylvania) work with them to ensure that Medicaid dollars are invested in cost-saving community supports. 54 ADAPT activists were arrested at the offices of Rep. Hensarling and Rep. Camp yesterday; 30 remained in custody as of mid-morning.

“People need to understand that reducing funds to the Medicaid system in any way will result in providers closing and people losing services,” said Cassie James Holdsworth of Philadelphia ADAPT. “President Obama said yesterday that his proposed Medicaid will not result in loss of coverage for people with disabilities and seniors. But the fact is that even waste reduction strategies such as privatized managed care result in major disruption of services. The Super Committee has to understand that we need to get real about Medicaid. Over the next decade, more and more people will need it and we should be investing in cost saving services like home and community based supports, and not just engage in slash and burn cuts that will cost more in the long run.”

“Community-based Medicaid services give us independence, health care, help our families stay together, and provide jobs,” said Tom Cagle of Ohio ADAPT. “States have already made significant cuts to Medicaid. How many more people with disabilities and seniors must lose our basic freedoms and lives in order to have done our share?”

Lopeti Penima’ani, an ADAPT organizer from Phoenix, Arizona, pointed out that states have already reduced or eliminated vital home care services and forced seniors and people with disabilities into nursing facilities against their will. “People are already experiencing reduced or eliminated access to basic healthcare, including medications. Jobs have already been eliminated for home care and direct care workers.”

ADAPT is demanding that the Senate Republicans on the Super Committee agree to support the “millionaire’s tax;” assure that funding for Medicaid is not capped and that it increases proportionate to need; eliminate Medicaid’s institutional bias as a part of the plan to address the deficit; and provide ADAPT with an opportunity to testify before the entire Super Committee regarding ADAPT’s proposals for real Medicaid reform and eliminating the institutional bias in the plan to address the deficit.

Details of ADAPT’s REAL Medicaid Reform proposals can be found on the ADAPT website at www.adapt.org.

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