U.S. House of Representatives information<\/i><\/p>\n
WASHINGTON, D.C.\u00a0— U.S. Representatives Bob Latta (R-Ohio) and Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) were the leads on a letter, which included other members of the Ohio delegation, to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell expressing concern about guidance released by CMS that describes the types of settings in which states may use federal Medicaid funds to pay for home and community based services (HCBS).<\/p>\n
Under this guidance, a \u201cfarmstead or disability-specific farm community\u201d is listed as an example of a residential setting that has the effect of isolating individuals receiving HCBS from the broader community.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur state is home to several farmstead programs, like Bittersweet Farms, which is located in Ohio\u2019s Fifth Congressional District,\u201d said Latta. \u201cThese programs provide vocational and education programs, as well as residential support, for people with autism that enable these individuals to maximize their potential. CMS\u2019 guidance could inhibit the availability of these types of services for the individuals who benefit from them.<\/p>\n
\u201cI join my colleagues in urging the Secretary to remove rural, farmstead or disability-specific farm communities from this list, so all Ohioans can continue to have a choice in participating in these farmstead programs,\u201d\u00a0Latta added.<\/p>\n
\u201cPrograms such as northwest Ohio\u2019s jewel, Bittersweet Farms, provide crucial services for those with autism as well as confidence for their families and guardians,\u201d said Kaptur. \u201cWe urge the Secretary to review the proposed exclusion of farmstead environments in CMS rule making. Experience shows that settings such as Bittersweet Farms have measureable benefit in better outcomes for participants and result in improvement in the daily lives of so many with autism.\u201d<\/p>\n