Victory on Budget! For Now…

Today, the House and Senate budget committees formally signed the early-action supplemental budget bill (HB1086).

The passed version of the bill includes the Senate provision on adult day health that does not result in disenrollment of a significant number of ADH participants also receiving services via Developmental Disabilities. This lays the ground work for action likely to be taken in the biennial budget.

However, ADH is by no means safe and we must remain vigilant in our efforts.

The next step is to:

Providers and stakeholders need to make a Legislative Hotline 1-800-562-6000 call today or tomorrow at the latest and leave this simple message for their legislators:

“Thank you for allowing people with Developmental Disabilities to continue to attend our adult day health centers.”

After this we need to pool our resources together:

• Start by gathering phone numbers for participant families and others who are interested to be used in a “robo call,” as part of the advocacy strategy in dealing with the upcoming biennial budget development. 
• Meet with DSHS staff to work out and hone a strategy that can be offered to legislators and their staff while they prepare the biennial budget. 

More information to come soon!