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   January 10, 2012 to March 9, 2012  Florida Legislature Session Dates.   SB 1516 APD bill makes changes to program.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Click on Florida Senator / Representative to contact.

   May 7, 2011    VICTORY -   NO HMO / MANAGED CARE for APD !!                             
    Senate President Haridopolis and Sen Negron united with DD consumers to keep them out of managed care this session. Thank you !
       While House Speaker Dean Cannon ignored the huge grass roots movement of DD consumers / families opposing managed care.        We would like to thank all the thousands of families that called, emailed, traveled to Tallahassee, visited their senator and representative
to lend a united voice to over 50,000 (20.000 on wait list) developmentally disabled citizens in Florida.  You made a difference.  

                                                                            Thanks Senator Haridopolis

United for Choice would like to express it's sincerest thanks to Senator Haridopolis for his concern and support for the developmentally disabled of Florida. Senator Mike has made every effort this year to champion the causes of the disabled of the state and has stood by his word to advocate for their needs. The recent commitment on his part as Senate President is just the latest example of his efforts on this important matter, coming after a solid commitment to prevent the developmentally disabled population from being absorbed into mega-corporation HMO's being contemplated for Florida's welfare recipients.

                          Way to go Senator Mike! Your efforts are appreciated!"
        
         The Senate's Medicaid reform meeting held on November 17, 2010 heard testimony from disabled people, advocates and doctors raising concerns about the move to an HMO.  Two of our leadership team members attended.  We asked lawmakers to consider how they could provide Medicaid recipients with the same budget if they go through a managed care operator?   Any cost savings to feed the private profit driven HMO providers would likely  have to be extracted from vulnerable developmentally disabled people.  We further testified that "there's no way we should be profiting from any of these individuals -- ever" .   Call or write your senator or representative.    For more information, see News Update     See Newspaper articles.
        

          Purpose / Mission:                        Watch Summary Video

      To establish a grassroots effort through members towards educating
      and promoting issues and concerns that benefit people with disabilities
      receiving supports on the Florida Medicaid Waiver and CDC
      program.

      Principles 

1. Committed to promoting issues and concerns that benefit people with disabilities (PWD) receiving supports on the Florida Medicaid Waiver and CDC program.
    
2. Against any efforts to limit necessary supports by utilizing HMO or PPN management of services or other means such as rebasing.
    
3. Advocate or assist persons with disabilities in preserving their right to choose their own supports and maintain their quality of care in service delivery.
    
4. Be willing to write, phone, fax, email or personally visit your representative or senator when an identified issue is raised by this organization.
    
5. Agree that current waiver support coordination is integral in promoting and advocating for the best interests of persons with disabilities and therefore we are against a watered down HMO form of case management causing a conflict of interest and loss of advocacy for persons with disabilities. 
    
6. Favor the current competitive APD MW provider network of DME and CMS providers instead of proposed regional or centralized limited providers.  Instead, standardized rates for CMS / DME to stabilize costs.
    
7. Believe that persons with disabilities should be encouraged and allowed to maximize their potential, be as independent as possible and become active in the community through social roles and natural supports.
    
8. As a member, allow your name and email address to be used during a persons with disabilities campaign.  

     Goal and Rationale for No H.M.O.  
        Our primary goal is to educate and inform state law makers, providers of supports, family members and PWD
        the negative impact that a H.M.O. wholesale take over of the current 31,000+ persons enrolled in the 
        APD Medicaid Waiver program would have.  This proposed change would severely limit their choice of their
        services, virtually eliminate independent advocacy they now have via their support coordinator, and would reduce
         their quality and quantity of services as a result of HMO pressure to increase profits at persons with disabilities
        expense.  Since fewer providers would be available, thousands of jobs would be eliminated, competition would
        be reduced which typically effects quality outcomes.  Nearly all families, persons with disabilities and providers
        agree that the unique needs of the the APD population would not fit into the HMO medical model of care.  H.M.O.s
        have made influential political contributions as well as made enticing claims  to save the state lots of money in
       effort to get this change in their favor.  In reality,  any savings would go towards HMO profits and consequently be
       at the detriment to the persons with disabilities. The current tier budget cap limitations,  along with the new individual
        budgets based on updated QSIs and proposed APD spending limits would be far more effective decision in
        preserving choice, competition, independence, quality outcomes and advocacy for persons with disabilities.
        Ask yourself or anyone you know, what they think of or are they happy with HMOs?
                
     
         Note: (this website is not affiliated with United for Choice Inc., which is a pro choice website)
Terms of Use:
Content on this site is intended to educate persons with disabilities, families, caregivers and providers enrolled in the Florida APD HCBS Medicaid Waiver program about the proposed change to a HMO service delivery model that will have a negative impact to the DD community.    This site's purpose is to provide information
to  stakeholders so they can be empowered to preserve their informed choices and take appropriate, legal, respectful legislative actions necessary to maintain advocacy, quality outcomes and to prevent an HMO take over of this program.   Hyperlinks or listed resources do not constitute any endorsement.  Information provided is subject to change and should be verified by the user as necessary. Use of any part of this website is voluntary and no guarantee is implied or otherwise is given about any outcomes. User of this site further waives any rights or liability on Florida United For Choice and all of it's leadership team or other participants, given the nature of the site.   Use of any page or content signifies acceptance of Terms of Use
 

For current legislative and APD program info, go to:
http://waiverprovider.com/ or www.supportcoordinators.com  or www.GeorgeAndrew.com  or  www.APDcares.org