ADAPT Demands the End of Instutional Bias
By Tim Wheat
ADAPT confronted President Barack Obama today and demanded his administration finally put an end to the institutional bias in Medicaid. The activist group had an incredibly full day as they also delivered a message to the Mayor of Washington DC and held an impromptu question-and-answer session with Sam Bagenstos of the Department of Justice.
The Park Police had closed the sidewalk and street in front of the White House around 10 in the morning as ADAPT approached. When the police used an SUV to block ADAPT and the sidewalk, the bulk of ADAPT charged into the intersection of 15th and G Streets stopping traffic completely. The police had believed they had successfully stopped the line of activists when suddenly all the traffic was stopped and the intersection was packed with activists.
“The people they thought were meek or expendable,” said Jennifer McPhail about the police force, “were the people who had taken their power.”
Nationwide ADAPT asked people to call the White House to move the negotiations and for President Obama to support the Community Choice Act. The activists in the street used a marker to sign a large version of a letter to the President.
"I want to know that the White House is actively working with consumers of community-based long term care services to create federal expansion of consumer controlled and non-medical model long term services and supports,” said Randy Alexander of ADAPT of Tennessee. “States should be accountable for saving money by directing Medicaid funds towards cost-saving community supports rather than costly institutionalization. In this fiscal crisis, that is the right thing to do."
ADAPT has created the Defending Our Freedom campaign to obtain the involvement in the federal government in preventing US states from cutting home services. The Medicaid bias in the federal program requires payment to expensive nursing homes and institutions, while cost-saving home services are optional. State governments are tempted to cut the home services which will force people with disabilities out of homes and into institutions. ADAPT is working to keep US states from cutting programs and demand that the federal government do more to enforce people with disabilities right to live in the community. President Obama created the bipartisan National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform to address our nation's fiscal challenges. The Commission is charged with identifying policies to improve the fiscal situation in the medium term and to achieve fiscal sustainability over the long run.
"It is vital that the Commission evaluate the fiscal unsustainability of the Medicaid institutional bias by hearing testimony from people with disabilities who personally use community-based long term care services and have been victimized by or are at risk of having their community based service hours cut," said Bruce Darling of Rochester ADAPT. "ADAPT has both grassroots and policy experience to offer the Commission to create a truly sustainable fiscal future for state long term care services."
After four hours the group “bumped up the pressure” and decided to go past the park police and block the east gate of the White House. While one group moved toward the police blocking access to the Treasury gate shared with the White House, the rest moved up and quickly, turned and darted for the real target. Joey Tate of Austin ADAPT was arrested as about 20 activists rushed the east gate.
“Obama works for everyone,” said Joe Stramondo of Michigan ADAPT. “He needs to stop helping Wall Street and work with the people in the street.”
As an exceptional event that only ADAPT could organize, Sam Bagenstos, the Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, came to the hotel to speak with ADAPT. Although the Department of Justice has done much better to enforce Olmstead, ADAPT members from Texas pressed Bagenstos on why Hate Crimes had not been applied in many cases.
Long-time ADAPT member Steve Gold introduced Mr. Bagenstos stating that if Sam quits before the end of this Administration, he will retire.
“Steve really is my idol,” said Sam Bagenstos. “When we went to law school, Steve Gold is the kind of lawyer who we wanted to be like.”
The material success for ADAPT was the announcement that beginning March 1, 2011 the US Department of Justice would have independent authority to investigate Olmstead complaints. Steve Gold told us to send any Olmstead complaints directly to the US DOJ and to him.
ADAPT also found the time to send a message to the Washington DC City government. The District, like many US states, is putting more people in nursing homes. ADAPT demands that Washington DC reverse that trend. Local activists also told horror stories of the death of a person with a disability being locked in a van in the heat.
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