Congress is making one last effort this week before the holiday break to negotiate the next COVID-19 relief package, and we need to make sure that the policy priorities of the Down syndrome community are included. Please contact your Senators and Representatives AS SOON AS POSSIBLE and ask them to include the following in the new COVID relief bill:

1. Dedicated funding for Medicaid Home and Community Based Services (HCBS)

To date, there has been no dedicated funding for HCBS in any of the prior COVID relief packages. Dedicated funding is desperately needed to help disabled people and older adults remain safely in their homes rather than being forced into nursing homes and other congregate settings, which have had serious COVID-19 outbreaks. HCBS funding would support the direct service professional (DSP) workforce with better wages and protective personal equipment (PPE) and enable them to provide support to disabled people in their homes with tasks such as housekeeping, managing medication, and daily living skills such as eating, bathing and dressing.

2.  Expand CARES Act stimulus payments to cover ALL dependents

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) passed in May 2020 providing $500 tax rebates to taxpayers who claim dependents under age 17. This excluded many taxpayers who claim a disabled adult dependent from this additional financial relief. NDSC and other organizations have been advocating to extend these rebates to cover all dependents, regardless of age. The “All Dependents Count Act” (S. 3652) was included in the Senate’s HEALS Act package in August 2020, and we are requesting that it be included in the next COVID relief package to provide some financial relief to families with adult dependents.

3. Long Term Funding for Money Follows the Person (MFP) Program

The Medicaid Money Follows the Person (MFP) program has helped over 91,000 disabled people and older adults transition from congregate settings back into the community. Congress keeps extending funding for this program on a very short-term basis, whereas long term or permanent funding is necessary. Many states have had to slow or completely shut down their MFP programs because of the uncertainty of continued short term funding extensions from Congress, so we need to push for long term funding now. Read why long term/permanent funding of MFP is needed HERE. 

Thank you for your advocacy efforts!

The NDSC Policy & Advocacy Team

We encourage you to stay engaged in our advocacy efforts by: (1) Registering for NDSC Action Alerts- click "Quick Sign Up"; (2) Subscribing to the NDSC Policy & Advocacy Newsline; (3) Joining our national grassroots advocacy program, the National Down Syndrome Advocacy Coalition  and (4) "liking" NDSC Policy & Advocacy on social media .