How much is Virginia's GDP tied to extreme profiting off disability services?

Last August, I was asked to edit my comment for The Arc of Virginia’s State Convention Luncheon.

Here’s my unedited comment:

What I repeatedly see is policy that allows extreme profiting from disability and inequitable delivery and utilization of Home and Community Based Services.

There is a genocide being covered up in America. People with disabilities are being murdered in group homes. Case in point, private group homes owned by KKR are under investigation currently. I'm waiting to see who will get convicted of murder with a life sentence in prison.

There are three things happening in America:

1.

People like myself can not find Medicaid Consumer Directed personal care in home attendants because they are not paid anything close to a living wage. A fast food job pays more than a in home CD attendant.

2.

Private companies can buy group homes and rack in extreme profit off beds while people with disabilities are abused neglected and murdered. Group homes are allowed to pay more to their attendants than Consumer Directed. Remove penalties for supplementing a CD attendants pay so I can compete with fast food and group homes. Close the gab between minimum wage and living wage rates for Consumer Directed Medicaid in home Personal Care Attendants.

3.

Agencies can start an attendant business anywhere and have lack regulations. Because of agency's unprofessionalism and unethical behavior, their attendant turnover rate is extremely high. The agency is paid when their attendants do not come into work, which is Medicaid fraud. These agencies are numerous which deplete my hiring pool. Shut down agencies and bring back tools to empower people on Consumer Directed such as MySupport.

Make it clearly known and easily found for the public, the pay rates in a hourly format for attendants working as Consumer Directed, in home agency and group home.

My husband can not return to work with the current state of in home attendants.

I once worked from home and was paid a full wage. One of the factors of why I resigned was the current state of in home attendants.

I'm on a conveyor belt of a broken system with no choice but a group home to be a fat paycheck in somebody's pocket.

Close the gab between minimum wage and living wage rates for Consumer Directed Medicaid in home Personal Care Attendants. In Virginia the gap is $7.

END INSTITUTIONAL BIAS. DO IT NOW!

How much is Virginia's GDP tied to extreme profiting off disability services?

#HCBS

#EndInstitutionalBias

Thank you to Disability Almanac for publishing this on their website.