Advocacy

Act now - save our system!

Update 2/3/2012: The State is causing many challenges for UDS but we are not going out of business, we are sustainable and will be here a long time.  We will continue to provide our consumers with services and if we have to exit a service we presently provide, we will notify you directly before this information is provided to anyone else such as the media.  We will also insure if you must be transitioned to another provider that we will make it as smooth as possible and will transition you to a company we trust and respect.  UDS will also notify you of future advocacy campaigns once we determine the best focus for these efforts. Above all we have no plans to abandon our consumers, you are all very important to all of us here at UDS. Thank you.  Bill Kepner, President & CEO

The situation

Medicaid regulations require a policy change in how some Consumer-Directed Attendant Care services are paid for. The change will reduce the amount UDS is paid to provide services. Because Consumer- and Agency-Directed Attendant Care services are intertwined financially, substantially reducing payment for one without increasing payment for others will make it financially impossible for UDS and other provider agencies to deliver services after the proposed changes are implemented on July 1st.

The challenges we face

We need to help Commonwealth staffers and legislators understand that rate-increasing changes for other Attendant Care services must be made at the same time that Medicare-driven, rate-decreasing changes are implemented. The challenges in creating understanding are that: 1) Attendant Care services, and the system that delivers them, are not well-understood by Commonwealth legislators and staffers; 2) we have a new Administration; and, 3) the nursing home lobby has created confusion about the need for Attendant Care as part of a campaign to increase funding for nursing home care by reducing funding for Attendant Care.

Watch story by WGAL-TV, Lancaster

April/May 2011

UDS initiates Grassroots Advocacy Campaign - UDS reaches out to over 1500 Consumers, Attendants, Donors, Supporters, Board and Committee members for their support in a letter/email writing campaign asking our State Legislators to understand our "Right Rates First" situation. If this issue is not acted on responsibly and efficiently hundreds of people will end up on the unemployment lines and in nursing homes adding financial burden to an already overburdened state.

Our response

A swift, hard-hitting UDS-led lobbying initiative to explain the Attendant Care situation in clear, consistent and compelling language that legislators and staffers will understand and want to take action to resolve. Success will require that emails, letters and phone calls from the thousands of people who are involved with UDS reach legislators and staffers within the next week. Our communications will also need to stand out from the many others they receive. So, our letters, emails and messages will be crisp, with a different tone and look from the communications you may be used to seeing, and that legislators and staffers are used to receiving.

Learn more

• View the "Right Rates Graph"
• Find Your Elected Officials
• View a Glossary of Terms