Letter to the Hon. Alex Azar, Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Hon. Seema Verma, Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services - Emmer Sends Letter Urging Congress to Provide Resources for Direct Support Professionals

Letter

Dear Secretary Azar and Administrator Verma:
We write in support of the providers of high quality, long-term supports and services to people with
disabilities across the country and to urge you to ensure these providers receive significant financial
relief from the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund during the ongoing coronavirus
pandemic. Specifically, consistent with an emergency estimate advanced by the President's Committee
for People with Intellectual Disabilities, we request that $8.3 billion from the recently passed CARES
Act and PPP and Health Care Enhancement Act be urgently allocated to providers of Medicaid Home
and Community Based Services and Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual
Disabilities.
Already facing a workforce shortage and high staff turnover before the pandemic, these providers are at
risk of collapse without federal support. A recent survey of 698 community providers serving
individuals with disabilities conducted by the American Network of Community Options and Resources
illustrates how critical the situation is for these providers. The majority of respondents reported having
to shut down services, with closed services accounting for 32% of annual revenue, on average. At the
same time, operating costs are up, and respondents reported additional expenditures related to acquiring
personal protective equipment (PPE) and staff training, onboarding, and overtime. Half of respondents
only have enough cash to stay in business for one month.
Direct Support Professionals struggle to acquire equipment of every kind, including masks, face shields,
gloves, and gowns. Further, assisting people with disabilities with the activities of daily living --
dressing, bathing, toileting -- often makes it impossible for staff to social distance.
Millions of Americans with disabilities rely on Medicaid-funded supports and services to live
independent, healthy, and meaningful lives - and during this pandemic, these programs are essential to
their very survival, keeping them safe at home during social isolation and funding lifeline supports. As
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we work to further address this issue in supplemental legislation, it is critical that we provide relief to
the organizations and workers that serve these individuals and ensure that Medicaid disability supports
continue to operate during this pandemic and long after we defeat it. Thank you for your attention to this
request.