Action Alert: Contact Congress About the Money Follows the Person Program

 

March 13, 2020 | by Amber Smock

Take Action to Save Money Follows the Person

Hello everyone, it’s a good day for some online and phone calling advocacy! Check out this important action alert below because we need your help.

From the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL):

Money Follows the Person (MFP) has freed over 91,000 disabled people from institutions. MFP was enacted in 2005 with strong bipartisan support, and it’s one of the longest running, most successful Medicaid demonstrations. Since it started, 44 states have participated and worked to improve access to home and community based services (HCBS).

Funding for MFP will expire May 22, 2020. Without action now, states will continue to stop transitions and people will be stuck in institutions. Last year, Congress introduced bipartisan legislation to permanently reauthorize MFP. Permanent reauthorization and funding is critical to ensure sustainability of the program, but time is running out! And, as we have said before, now that Centers for Independent Living (CILs) have been established as a national network required to conduct transition services, NCIL would like to see a permanent solution that incorporates the CIL network into the bill language.

Take Action

Call your Representative and Senators and tell them to permanently reauthorize MFP! See a sample script at this link.

Call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 or (202) 224-3091(TTY). You can also find your Members’ direct contact information, including online contact forms, at this link for the U.S. House, and at this link for the U.S. Senate , and you can find your Members’ Twitter handles and other contact information on Contacting Congress. If you post on social media, make sure to use the hashtag #FundMFP.