ANCOR Joins Two Coalition Letters to Health Secretary Azar on COVID-19

As part of its coalition work with the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) and CCD allies, ANCOR joined two letters flagging disability-specific concerns to U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar. Specifically, these letters:

• Reiterated messaging that disability supports need to receive funding from the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund, created by the CARES Act to help health supports address the COVID-19 virus. Of the original $100 billion allocated by Congress, $70 billion has not yet been disbursed. The first $30 billion went to Medicare providers.
  • Additional reading: this Forbes article, while not specific to disability supports, outlines how the Administration’s focus on Medicare providers is problematic for community services.
• Stressed the need for nondiscrimination in medical rationing during the coronavirus pandemic. The letter explains: “many states and hospitals plan to rely on Crisis Standard of Care plans to inform providers how to make decisions on the allocation and re-allocation of scarce medical resources. Too many of these plans, however, discriminate based on disability and age, devaluing the lives of people with disabilities and older adults.  If implemented, they would deny life-saving treatment to people based on disabilities or age that have nothing to do with their ability to benefit from care and survive COVID-19.”

ANCOR is working day and night to ensure people with disabilities stay healthy and safe during this outbreak. Stay tuned as we will continue to share opportunities for action.