1. United States
2. Ind.
3. Letter

I am a supporter of The Arc and your constituent. I urge you to support the Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Relief Act (S. 3118), which provides two years of additional funding to states for HCBS. Medicaid HCBS provide people with disabilities with the support needed for everyday life in their own homes instead of institutions. This includes employment support and assistance with getting around the community, dressing, bathing, taking medication, and much more. Right now, over 650,000 people are stuck on waiting lists, direct care workers are underpaid due to stagnant Medicaid payments, and too often unpaid family caregivers are filling in the gaps in service. It’s a crisis and we need Congress to ensure that everyone has access to HCBS right now. Through the HCBS Relief Act of 2023, states would receive a 10-point increase in the federal match (FMAP) for Medicaid for two years to support HCBS that could be used to increase direct care worker pay, provide benefits such as paid family leave or sick leave, and pay for transportation expenses, support family caregivers, pay for recruitment and training of additional direct care workers, and more. Please help people with disabilities and their families today by supporting this critical legislation.