David Jayne Continues His Fight for Freedom

Business Wire,  May 10, 2002  

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Business Editors/Health and Science Writers

BIOWIRE2K

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 10, 2002

Man with Lou Gehrigs' Disease (ALS) Works to Abolish Homebound

Rule and Ensure a Better Future in Health Care Services

for Americans with Disabilities

Direct from MedicalNewswire.com--(Medical Newswire)

David Jayne of Rex, GA, will be in Washington, DC from May 13 to May 19, working closely with Bob Williams and Henry Claypool of Advancing Independence by Modernizing Medicare and Medicaid (AIMMM) to help Congress, the Administration and the public understand the imminent need for change in Medicare and Medicaid policies, particularly Medicaid's homebound rule affecting millions of individuals with disabilities and their families.

The Medicaid restriction needs to be eased up and ultimately eliminated to enable David Jayne, a man with the fatal disease ASL - and millions of others with life-long skilled care needs - to live his life without forfeiting his family or freedom. Jayne, a 40-year-old father of two living at home with his family and children, lost his Medicaid services last year when he refused to be restricted to his home. Services were restored after significant media coverage.

Jayne is traveling to Washington DC on May 13 to continue to lobby for HR1490 -- the Homebound Clarification Act. "Now, after September 11th, more than ever, Americans truly understand freedom. They want it for themselves, their families and all other Americans," said Jayne. "Everyone understands that the Medicare homebound rule as applied to people like myself is ludicrous, indefensible and completely unenforceable."

The ultimate goal of Jayne, Williams and Claypool is to effect change and continue to educate others of this punitive homebound restriction. AIMMM is gathering stories of individuals affected by this disempowering rule that comes hand in hand with Medicaid coverage.

"This is just one example of the policies developed over 37 years ago, when people like us with disabilities were seen as totally incapable of leading productive lives and were confined to institutions and their homes," said Bob Williams of AIMMM. According to AIMMM advocates, some 80 percent of Medicaid's funding today still goes to institutional setting care.

AIMMM was formed by Henry Claypool and Bob Williams under the umbrella of HalfthePlanet Foundation, headed by John Kemp. Claypool formerly was a Department of Health & Human Services senior policy advisor for disability policy to the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (formerly the Health Care Financing Administration). In that capacity, he was one of the principal authors of the New Freedom report published by the Administration in December addressing better implementation of the Olmstead decision. Bob Williams was the former Commissioner of the Administration on Developmental Disabilities in HHS. John Kemp, a lawyer with Powers Pyles Sutter and Verville, is president and chief executive officer of HalfthePlanet, a nonprofit organization promoting the values of the Americans with Disabilities Act and assistive technology.

For more information, please contact Nancy Flinn at 202-296-9128 or Henry Claypool at 202-429-6810.

Medical Newswire: From the Healthcare Information Center in Washington, D.C. Since 1947. To contact Medical Newswire, call 1-800-359-4454 or email donaldc@medicalnewswire.com.

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