1. Jack Hill, Chair of Appropriations jack.hill@senate.ga.gov, 404-656-5038

2. Greg Goggans, Vice Chair, appropriations, Health  drgg@alltel.net  or greg.goggans@senate.ga.gov  404-463-5263

3. Tommy Williams, Appropriations, tommie.williams@senate.ga.gov or tommie@tommiewilliams.com 404-656-0089

4. Casey Cagle, Lt. Governor, go to the following website to contact him:

http://ltgov.georgia.gov/00/article/0,2086,2199618_2208307_11792200,00.html   or 404- 656-5030

5. Eric Johnson, Senate 1, President Pro-Tem, eric.johnson@senate.ga.gov or ejohnson56@comcast.net 404-656-5109

6. Also please contact your individual State Senator for your own district by going to www.vote-smart.org and typing in your zip code.   

7. AND Contact Governor Perdue at sperdue@gov.state.ga.us, or 404-656-1776, Fax:404-657-7332.

Thanks in advance for your support in this matter.

YOUR child's Medicaid may depend on it!  Sincerely, Heidi 

-------------- Forwarded Message: --------------
From: "Leanne Manning" <Leanne.Manning@dreamhouseforkids.org>
Subject: Please Forward: Call to Action for Monday!
Date: Sat, 14 Apr 2007 14:38:19 +0000

THIS STATEMENT ISSUED BY:

 Laura O. Moore

Founder and CEO

Dream House for Medically Fragile Children, Inc.

laura.moore@dreamhouseforkids.net

770-717-7410

Leanne D. Manning

Project & Advocacy Coordinator

leanne.manning@dreamhouseforkids.org

Heidi J. Moore

heidijmoore@comcast.net

678-357-8200

Dream House Call to Action!

But what can I do that  will make a difference?

Meet us on the Capitol this Monday, April 16 at 10:30am!

Our state leaders need to hear from you personally:  Write a letter to our state leaders with your concerns, and let’s personally deliver our message!

Don’t balance the budget upon the health of

children or elderly folks, disabled, or blind people.

It is very concerning that the House Budget includes a last minute amendment that would implement a managed care program for the Aged, Blind and Disabled Medicaid population in the Atlanta region, which is said to become effective January 1, 2008.

There needs to be a lot more thought and input into this option before adding into the budget at the last minute, resulting in:

·       No study data to validate how many aged, blind and disabled people this change would affect.

·       No study data to show how much money this change would actually save.

·       No chance for timely public response; and no options for those affected to learn of the impact of this decision and act in timely response.

This last minute item surprised DCH, Medicaid, providers, patients, our top state leaders, and the taxpayers of Georgia, this legislation would implement managed care for the most disabled populations in our state, a model of care that has not proven to be successful across the country.  Instead, the current system which is based on disease management is the most effective for the patient and the payer. 

Current state employee health coverage does not provide the same services that PeachCare offers, yet state workers who earn within the income bracket for Peach Care are not allowed to apply for Peach Care. State employees, if they meet the same criteria as non-state employees, should have health care benefits equivalent to those of Peach Care.  How can this be paid for?

·       Not by cutting Peach Care benefits;

·       Not by taking the most disabled and placing them in “managed care” which has a proven failure record for individuals that face complicated or multi-diagnosis’;

Don’t balance the budget upon the health of children or elderly folks, disabled, or blind people!

What kind of message is conveyed by lowering the standards of health care in Georgia?

What will happen to people in nursing homes?

Would managed care interfere with the implementation of the MRWP/NOW waiver?

How will the impact of reduced health care services affect and increase the burden placed upon schools for already overstrained special education services?

If a decision is made to 'dump' the most complicated of patients on top of a system that is already ineffective and losing doctors and providers, what kind of care are any of our most vulnerable citizens going to get?

Would this change really save 30-40 million dollars by putting elderly, disabled and blind people, individuals in Medicaid waivers like Katie Beckett, Children's Medical Services, into managed care?  Or, would the real cost be the lives and health wasted by lack of coordinated care?

Given the complexity and needs of this vulnerable population, many who have private health insurance and hold Medicaid as secondary insurance, the cost of coordinating care would prove to be a financial burden to Medicaid. Problems with the current ‘care maintenance’ system have resulted in many providers opting out of Medicaid.  These families need home and community based services, requiring a robust provider network with appropriate compensation for their services.

Dept. of Community Health and the House and Senate Budget offices have a lot of concerns about the ability to implement this change, and they would need an 1115 waiver to do this.  We have been advised to contact the Senate with these concerns.  The budget will go to the Senate floor by Tuesday, and then it will go to conference committee to work out the differences.

Bottom line: Managed care is NOT a good service delivery model for the Age, Blind and Disabled populations and can actually cost the state taxpayers more money.  We need more time to evaluate the options before this radical approach is taken.

But what can I do that  will make a difference?

Meet us on the Capitol this Monday, April 16 at 10:30am!

Our state leaders need to hear from you personally:  Write a letter to our state leaders with your concerns, and let’s personally deliver our message!

Dream House for Medically Fragile Children, Inc. provides education, skills training, and assistance with healthcare equipment acquisition and resource referrals, so that kinship, foster, and adoptive families can care for medically fragile children in their own 'dream home'.

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