HCFA RESPONDS TO ADAPT PRESSURE

by Bob Kafka


On May 15th Bruce Vladeck, Administrator of the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), issued a letter to all the HCFA offices in the United States promoting "...home and community-based services in the most integrated setting." In addition he attached Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala's strong statement of home and community-based services, made to ADAPT last spring.

Vladeck's letter directs the national offices of HCFA "... to work closely with you [the regional HCFA offices] to provide any technical assistance you or the states need to stimulate the development and improvement of waivers to maximize customer choice and allow states flexibility to administer such programs."

Secretary Shalala's statement and Bruce Vladeck's letter are responses to the ADAPT demand for a national attendant services program in the U.S. These are words now, but ADAPT will remain vigilant to assure they are being converted to home and community attendant services at the local level. FREE OUR PEOPLE!