ANCOR joined 74 other organizations in sending a letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar, urging for the implementation of the RAISE Family Caregivers Act. The legislation, which the President signed in January 2018, calls for the creation and maintenance of a Family Caregiving Strategy, which would include supports and training to assist family caregivers. As a lead advocate for the bill, ANCOR is vested in its implementation.
As the letter states:
“Family caregivers are the backbone of services and supports in this country – they help loved ones of all ages live independently in their homes and communities where they want to be, helping to save taxpayer dollars by delaying and preventing more costly care and unnecessary hospitalizations. About 40 million family caregivers provide about $470 billion annually in unpaid care to their loved ones. About 3.7 million family caregivers provide care to a child under age 18 because of a medical, behavioral, or other condition or disability, and 6.5 million family caregivers assist both adults and children. Our country relies on the contributions family caregivers make and should recognize and support them.
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We are so pleased that this legislation passed Congress with strong bipartisan support and was signed into law by the President. Now, your leadership is important to the law’s successful implementation. We urge you to move forward with prompt implementation of the law. We stand ready to work with you and assist with implementation, and we appreciate your prompt attention to this important issue. Millions of individuals count on family caregivers every day. Family caregivers are counting on implementation of this commonsense law.”
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