The Money Follows the Person program (MFP) officially expired in 2016, and today the House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on a bill that would renew the program for three months. The IMPROVE Act (H.R. 7217) was introduced last week in the House and a companion bill is expected in the Senate very soon. While three months is not nearly long enough to sustain the vital work of MFP, this extension will give the program a needed bridge into the 116th Congress, where we will continue our advocacy for a longer renewal.
MFP has helped free over 88,000 people from institutions, and is a key provision in the IMPROVE Act. In addition, H.R. 7217 also includes an extension of protections for Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) recipients against spousal impoverishment, a permanent exemption from competitive bidding for CRT manual wheelchairs, and an 18-month suspension in Medicare’s application of competitive bidding rates to CRT manual wheelchair accessories.
Call your Representative today and tell them to vote YES on the IMPROVE Act! It is critical that members of Congress hear that extending MFP by passing this bill now is a priority to their constituents! All members of Congress can be reached by calling the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 or (202) 224-3091 (TTY).
