Action Alerts
July 20, 2010
URGENT ACTION ALERT!!!
Failure to Pass FMAP Extension Greatly Worsens CA Budget
California Delegation Needs to Hear From You!
According to Ancor:
FMAP Extension Remains in Limbo
The Senate begins the week of July 19th working on a jobs/tax extension bill (HR 4213) which has devolved into separate measures. On Tuesday, following the swearing in of Carte Goodwin to replace West Virginia Senator Byrd’s seat, the Senate will focus on extension of unemployment benefits until November. A remaining element that extends additional Medicaid funding to the states that is set to expire at the end of the year is in limbo. Majority Leader Reid (D-NV) has included FMAP extension in his legislative agenda for the summer.
Other provisions of the original larger bill such as a short-term extension for Medicare physician payment relief were separated into a separate measure that became law last month. Another bill that includes various Medicare and Medicaid program extensions was approved by the House last week and started preliminary action in the Senate on Thursday.
Members of Easter Seals in California confirm that the issue of FMAP extension may be resurrected soon, probably as a separate measure from that which linked the extension of unemployment benefits and COBRA to the issue in the past.
It is important to those of us in California and in 30 other States to let our Congress Members know right now how important is the extension of FMAP!
URGENT ACTION REQUEST!
This sample letter is the same as that used as a template in a previous Action Alert. Feel free to add any personal information about your agency and what the impact would be if you faced additional funding cuts because Congress failed to appropriate the funding necessary to extend the FMAP.
Write or call AT LEAST your Member of Congress and FAX that letter as soon as possible. If you can, copy the remainder of the California Delegation. But surely contact your own Member.
I will soon have a list of the so-called “Blue Dog” Democrats in California, fiscally conservative Members concerned about the cost of these extensions. When I have that list I will share the names with you for a more specific targeted effort. But for now, we must target Republicans who all opposed the extension. And let your Democratic members know you expect them to step up!
As I say in the Sample Letter, almost a trillion dollars have been expended in the last several months as part of the economic stimulus package. Many of these expenditures have not created the jobs or the economic activity that was anticipated.
There is no doubt, however, that these funds for FMAP will not only help bail out 30 States but will also be funding that goes directly to wages of workers and generate direct economic activity. Please write today!
If you are unsure about who your Representative is, go to http://www.house.gov/zip/ZIP2Rep.html and type in your Zip Code! Very easy! Thanks for your efforts!
SAMPLE LETTER
DATE
The Honorable _________________
United States House of Representatives
Address (see below)
Washington, DC 20515
RE: RECONSIDER EXTENSION OF FMAP!
Dear Congress Member __________________,
I am (introduce yourself; executive director, manager, direct care staff, board member, business partner, supporter etc.) of (Name of agency) serving the communities of (list your communities!)
California’s severe budget crisis is bad enough. But the failure of Congress to approve a 6-month extension of enhanced federal funding for Medicaid programs, many of which are mandated by Congress, has simply made the problem far worse.
The overall loss to California alone is nearly $2 billion! For people with developmental disabilities (mental retardation, autism, cerebral palsy, epilepsy and similar conditions) the loss in the specific programs funded by our Department of Developmental Services is $200 million!
If you and your colleagues do not reverse this failure to act and get these vital dollars into California, you will be subjecting the people we seek to serve; the vulnerable people you should very much care most about supporting, to unsustainable funding cuts and loss of critical services and supports.
I have watched Congress appropriate hundreds of billions of dollars in recent months for things you have said are your priorities. In some cases, I question both the priority and the effectiveness of the effort.
But I simply cannot understand, nor do I accept, the failure of Congress to make funding for some of our State’s most vulnerable citizens a top priority.
I urge you in the strongest possible terms to take immediate action and reverse this failure to fund FMAP. I am watching very closely and believe that the decision you make and the leadership you show can be one of the deciding factors in avoiding yet another human tragedy in California.
Please do all within your power to approve full funding of an extension of the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP).
Sincerely,
Signature
Title