Access Living friends and allies,
Happy 2022! This year, our advocacy work is starting off with a bang. Not only is the Illinois legislature starting its spring session much earlier than usual, but it’s also a midterm election year at a time when just getting through the Covid pandemic is a top priority. We’ve got a lot of work ahead this year, and we’re thankful for all of your advocacy efforts whether in Illinois or across the states. Today we’d like to alert you to an Illinois public testimony opportunity this Thursday.
Community Integration Testimony Needed
This Thursday, January 6, from 3 to 5 pm Central, the Illinois Medicaid Advisory Committee’s Subcommittee on Community Integration will hold a public meeting online. The purpose of this Subcommittee is to identify ways to improve or expand community integration work under ALL NINE of Illinois’ home and community based Medicaid waivers. The Subcommittee is a great way to learn and consider what happens in the different waivers.
The public is invited to testify to help the Subcommittee understand where people are underserved for Medicaid home and community based services, and ways to improve. The public meeting notice, agenda, committee members, previous meeting minutes, and virtual link info is at this link. The Subcommittee meets every two months.
How to Register to Testify at the Meeting:
If you would like to testify online at the Subcommittee Meeting, please submit an email request with the statement “MAC CI Public Comment” in the Subject line. Send this request to Gabriela.M.Moroney@illinois.gov no later than 5 PM on Tuesday January 4, 2022.
Testifying in Writing:
If you would like to send in a written testimony, it should be submitted to Gabriela.M.Moroney@illinois.gov by 5 PM on January 4, 2022. Please include “MAC CI Written Comment” in the Subject line. There is no minimum or maximum word limit, or a specific format to follow.
What Should My Testimony Be About?
The Subcommittee has some specific questions they would like the public to discuss, but comments about problems and solutions for community integration are generally welcome. The specific questions are:
- Which groups of Medicaid enrollees are not fully served by Illinois Medicaid-funded home and community-based services? What barriers are they experiencing?
- Where and with which populations is demand for home and community-based services rising?
- Do delays exist in accessing Medicaid HCBS services? If so, which services are affected and what is your understanding of the nature of the delays?
- What are some ideas for expanding access to Illinois Medicaid home and community-based services?
Who Can Testify?
The Subcommittee would like to hear from people with disabilities and seniors who use or want Medicaid home and community based services, providers, families, and advocates anywhere in the state of Illinois.
What If I Have More Questions?
Questions about the Subcommittee can be directed to Gabriela Moroney at HFS, at Gabriela.M.Moroney@illinois.gov. Amber Smock, Access Living’s Director of Advocacy, serves as Chair of the Subcommittee and can also be reached with questions at asmock@accessliving.org.
Please share this opportunity with folks who want to help guide the State of Illinois on community integration. Thank you!