Ask Your Representative to Cosponsor the Protecting Medicaid Safety Net Act of 2008 (H.R. 5613)

This is the single most important issue for the disability community this year!

Background
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued several regulations which will significantly cut payments to Medicaid providers and services to beneficiaries. The regulations are an attempt to implement the Medicaid cuts proposed in the Bush Administration's Fiscal Year 2008 Budget.

Three regulations, which are summarized below, will severely cut services to people with disabilities:

Regulation	5 Year Cost	Status	Description	Changes could impact
Rehabilitation Services (Rehab) Option	$2.3 billion reduction	Proposed:  August 2007 Moratorium through June 2008	Would narrow scope of rehab services.  See comments to CMS	Day habilitation such as DD skills training and communications skills training
School-Based Administration and Transportation Services	$3.6 billion reduction	Final:  December 2007 Moratorium through June 2008	Would prohibit all Medicaid payments for school-based administration and most transportation services. See Comments to CMS	Specialized transportation Occupational therapy Physical therapy Speech/language therapy
Case Management and Targeted Case Management (TCM)	$1.3 billion reduction	Interim final: December 2007 Became effective on March 3, 2008	Restricts coverage of transitional case management.   See Comments to CMS	Transition from institutional care to the community

How much will the Medicaid regulations cost your state?  See: http://oversight.house.gov/features/medicaid08/

Fortunately, Congress has the authority to delay the implementation of regulations through a legally authorized postponement known as a "moratorium." A moratorium gives Congress time to review the regulations closely and propose needed revisions through legislation.

Status
House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell (D-MI) and Rep. Tim Murphy (R-PA) introduced the Protecting Medicaid Safety Net Act of 2008 (H.R. 5613) on March 13. The bill would provide a 1 year moratorium on the regulations, prohibiting CMS from taking action to implement them until April of 2009. A Senate companion bill is expected to be introduced soon.

Take Action
Please call your Representative during the Congressional Recess between March 17 to 28. Call your Representative at his/her local Congressional District office.  Passage of HR 5613 will depend greatly on how many people he/she hears from.