Advocacy
Mosaic in Kansas City staff members participate in the Wyandotte County Quality Assurance Committee and the Council of Community Members. Mosaic in Kansas City also is active in InterHab, an association of service providers in Kansas.
 |  |
|
Mosaic representatives from all five agencies in the state including Kansas City, Ellsworth, Winfield, Garden City, and Liberal traveled to Topeka to express concern about the recent 10% cut to the Medicaid waiver reimbursement rate. Since Medicaid is the primary source of funding, estimated to be 95%, the rate reduction was anticipated to be absolutely devastating, reporting a $1.4 million loss to the Mosaic agencies across the state. Legislators were asked how the state can expect a specific set of standards for quality of care, cut the reimbursement rate and diminish budgets, and then charge these agencies with the responsibility to provide quality care to those receiving services while retaining quality personnel.
During the heavy advocating at the Capitol, news spread that the most recent 10% rate reduction to the Medicaid waiver had been restored. Advocacy work did not stop there for these agencies. Legislators still needed to know, that in order to provide the quality of services that are expected by the state, future cuts to this already fragile budget must not occur.
On the following day, Mosaic agencies in Kansas also participated in the events held by InterHab, an advocacy organization for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Mosaic representatives trekked through the capitol's renovations and knocked on the doors of their legislators to spread the word about Mosaic and advocating for people in the I/DD community. They were able to greet them, shake their hands, and pass along a plastic color-changing cup representing "Invisible Kansans" along with a certificate for a free smoothie.
Mosaic's across Kansas encourage all to advocate to their legislators about the rates that effect the people in their own communities. It was an exhilarating experience for the representatives of Mosaic in Kansas to see and hear first hand from their legislators who speak to the state on their behalf. Our legislators make decisions that impact the most vulnerable of people.
