The West Virginia Medicaid Recipients’ Union is proud to join with the other individuals and organizations represented here today to say, with one voice, that people with disabilities have waited long enough for full access to their homes, their communities, and their lives.

We recognize that our state officials are faced with some tough financial decisions regarding Medicaid. We are here to help – and to guide – them. As proactive stakeholders, we come equipped with the ideas, the information, and the initiative that will enable West Virginia to make the most effective use of its Medicaid dollars while at the same time preserving and protecting the human and civil rights of individuals with disabilities.

West Virginia once set an example for the nation with the closing of its institutions for people with developmental disabilities. Unfortunately, the practice has not kept pace with the promise. Our policymakers have missed many opportunities to implement the promising practices endorsed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

These initiatives are not new. They are all cost neutral, if not cost saving, and they are consistent with the U.S. Supreme Court’s Olmstead decision [which interprets the Americans with Disabilities Act as granting individuals with disabilities the right to receive government services in the homes and communities of their choosing].

We urge our policymakers to take advantage of the untapped resources you see here today. Human resources – ready, willing, and very, very able to help them build a support system that will enhance the lives of all West Virginians so that our state motto – Mountaineers are always free – holds true for every citizen of our fair state.