ADAPT |

MiCASSA |

| Action Report Index  | Press Room | Winter ADAPT Action 2005 |

ADAPT Vigil Day Four

Fresh start on Monday

ADAPT's "sidewalk city"

(DENVER, July 8, 2002) Day four of ADAPT’s vigil in downtown Denver showed the seriousness of advocates resolve to see that Colorado does not cut, cap or change the funding of home alternatives to nursing homes. State employees working in the Human Services Building at 1575 Sherman were greeted by 20 activists who had spent the entire weekend camped in front of the offices of the Health Care Policy Finance (HCPF) committee demanding that they not cut essential home-health funds.

Karen Reinertson and Reed Reynolds were both among those who snaked through the advocates “tent city” on the sidewalk. Reynolds had given rough numbers at a meeting this past Friday that suggest that over 1000 Coloradoans would be on a waiting list for home and community based services by this time next year. Reinertson is the Medicaid Director that confirmed that cuts were put into effect on the first of July.

In the afternoon Karen Reinertson visited advocates and talked with the coalition that is holding vigil to enforce promises made by HCPF and demanding no cuts or caps in home-health funding. Reinertson did not say that she was retracting the cuts.

“I told Karen Reinertson that it would effect our clients,” said Tim Thornton of Atlantis Community. “We will have to cut back on hours, I hope we don’t have to downsize staff.”

 

Tim Thornton

Advocates took the opportunity of being so close to the state capitol to reach out to the state legislature to correct the favoritism of funding institutions over home and community based programs. The nursing home industry’s Medicaid reimbursement rate is matter of state statute, while unelected, political appointees control home-health Medicaid funding. Therefore it is a matter of changing state law to alter the nursing homes funds, while HCPF is free to slash funds to the more desirable and less expensive home services.

Many people passing by and even state employees were expressing their support for the coalitions goals and admiring ADAPT’s resolve. The advocates were fresh and highly motivated, four days into the vigil, as the state employees began their workweek. A sign met all the state employees as they walked through the front door of the Human Services Building that forecast the end of the vigil; the sign read: Government must ADAPT.

- Tim Wheat

• Read about Day One
• Read about Day Two
• Read about Day Three
• Read about Day Four
• Read about Day Five
• Read about Day Five
• Read about Day Six
• Read about Day Seven
• Read about Day Ten
• Read about Days Eleven and Twelve