Senate Hearing on the MiCASSA Bill

I spent yesterday as a witness to a Senate Hearing on the MiCASSA. This is the bill that would keep the need for assistance from forcing a disabled person on medicaid out of their home and in to a nursing home if they need an assistant. In other words, this bill will help disabled people stay in the home where their family members can help them yet provide assistance to those family members.

Bob Graham was there, Lugar was there and Tom Harkin was there. Harkin is a great advocate for the disabled and when the small committee room couldn't take all the wheel chairs Harkin told the Capitol police, "get those tables out!"

I think the Senate Finance Committee is going to pass this bill and it will probably be voted on in this election year. It does have bipartisan support.

Any patronizing stuff, like people with disabilities so often face? (cf. John Edwards' fateful pat on the head in Rochester)

What were you doing there? Are you an advocate?

Did you know that Newt Gingrich was an original MiCASSA sponsor?! (although my boss says it took a lot of legwork to get him to finally sign on!)

Everyone (especially repukes) should know that, in the vast majority of cases, home and community-based services cost less that care in a soulless, dehumanizing, dangerous institution.

I'm scared.