This week's BEST topic: Your Voice Needed

Give your feedback and input for important upcoming legislation

by Gloria Kraegel, Executive Director

In recent weeks, we've shared some inspiring and uplifting stories in our weekly updates. We want to share the successes of our community along with the concerns that we all share. This week, we want to make you aware of a new Medicaid entitlement state plan option called the Community First Choice Option (CFCO).

The Affordable Care Act established this plan as a way for states to make more service options available to Medicaid clients receiving personal care at home or in community residential settings. BEST founder, Penny Condoll, is a member of the state work group exploring how personal care will be provided under the provision of the CFCO and make recommendations to the state legislature by September 2014.

According to Bill Moss, Assistant Secretary of the Aging and Long-Term Support Administration:

"In Washington, any leftover funding not used for CFCO will be reserved for potential reinvestment, as required by legislature, in other home and community-based services for individuals served through the Aging and Long-Term Support and Developmental Disabilities Administration."

Why should we care? I believe that we have an exciting and meaningful opportunity to help shape the way Washington State provides care under what is known as the Community First Choice Option. We are reaching out to you for your input and feedback. We hope you will join us and let your voice be heard so that we can address and affect personal care needs of those with cognitive and intellectual challenges.

Washington State Department of Social and Human Services has a website where you can get more information and follow the activities of the CFCO Planning & Design Workgroup. You can visit the website here to register for the June 5th webinar that will focus on learning more about CFCO and gathering your input for the Workgroup and DSHS.

We hope you will join us for a series of community forums throughout the summer that we are hosting at Our BEST Space. This is your opportunity to contribute to a healthy future for all of us.