Another Chance to Vote for a Special-Needs Cause

Remember that whole to-do last year about the American Express Member's Project, in which many parents of children with special needs fervently voted to fund their causes, only to find out that the finalists were being determined by judges, not just votes?

Well, we've got another chance now to make some noise. Change.org has been running a vote-off to determine ten "ideas for change." In this case, the goal is not winning a big check, but getting some big attention. According to the site, "On January 16, Change.org and the Case Foundation are co-hosting an event at the National Press Club in Washington, DC to announce the top 10 rated ideas and then launch a national campaign behind each idea and mobilize the collective energy of the millions of members of Change.org, MySpace, and partner organizations to ensure that each winning idea gets the full consideration of the Obama Administration and Members of Congress."

It's not exactly a couple mil for research, but it would be nice for a special-needs-related cause to get that kind of push behind it. And conveniently, there's one among the finalists, at #15 as I write this: "Fully Fund Medicaid Waivers for the Developmentally Disabled." As the idea is described on its Change.org page:

Funding health care and services for individuals with developmental disabilities, disabilities and the elderly creates jobs, careers, business opportunities while filling a critical need.

I propose that the federal government:

1. Fully fund the Medicaid Waiver Program as part of the next Economic Stimulus Package.
2. Consider this as an increased federal match so that states are not put into an impossible situation.
3. Create portability of services across states and counties as is allowed with Medicare and Social Security.

Facts:

* Across America, an estimated 300,000 people cannot obtain essential support to live and work in the community because of lack of funding.

* Institutional care costs $88-$225,000 per person per year depending on the level of care. Community-based care costs $20-$75,000 per year (varies by state and level of care).

* Waivers are not portable. Families cannot move out of state or even out of their current county in some places for military duty, to accept jobs, or to live closer to family because they must go to the bottom of decades-long waiting lists at their new location.

The page goes on to share specific benefits that the waiver funding will bring, as well as comments from many special-needs families about how badly the help is needed. Read it over, check the competing ideas, then consider giving this important issue your vote. The special-needs causes overlooked by American Express earned a combined total of 19,228, well over the number needed to put Medicaid waivers in the Top 10. There's no mention anywhere of judges making the final cut, so our votes should actually count this time.

You'll need to give your name and e-mail address to establish an account before you can add your voice to the cause, but do be sure to vote according to the instructions on the page and not just comment (though, certainly, comment too.) The deadline is tomorrow, January 15.

It would be nice to win one every now and then, wouldn't it?

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_{Graphic from Change.org}