We need your help urging your Texas legislators to support increases in funding for private care providers like Evergreen. In the Texas Legislative Session last month Evergreen staff, family members of people we support, and many other private providers testified about our critical funding needs.
Besides what we fundraise, we receive our funding from Medicaid. The State of Texas and the Legislature set the rates we get paid to operate. We have not had a meaningful increase in reimbursement rates in about 15 years. By now, all of you are well aware of the effects of inflation. Despite climbing prices, we have not received any rate increases from the State. We have staff who need increases in pay, food cost to feed the individuals we serve has risen exponentially, fuel for our vans is high, insurance costs are estimated to rise up to 15% in December, property taxes are increasing, and many other costs continue to rise.
Here is the link to a news segment that highlights the dire situation for people with disabilities and our staff members who care for them: https://youtu.be/9wk0T_I2pm0
The Senate Finance Chair has named four senators to the Article II subcommittee to decide on funding increases for private providers, and we need them to vote YES to Article II. I am asking you to email and call these four senators who hold our fate in their hands and urge them to vote yes on Article II.
Their names and contact information is as follows:
Senator Lisa Kolkhorst – (512) 463-0118
Senator Bob Hall – (512) 463-0102
Senator Bryan Hughes – (512) 463-0101
Senator Angela Paxton – (512) 463-0108
Feel free to share the video above with them. If you are a parent of a person we support, please share how you and your loved one rely on the support Evergreen provides. If you are a supporter who simply wants to make their voice heard, you can let them know that you want to live in a state that properly cares for our most vulnerable.
We are not asking for more funding for our executives or administrative staff. We are asking for meaningful funding to pay our direct service workers what they deserve for the excellent work they do. When you contact these legislators let them know you want the people who work directly with your loved one to be paid what they deserve. Let them know how Texas lags far behind other states, and how you want Texas to be a leader in taking care of the most vulnerable Texans who deserve to live in the community in the least restrictive settings.