ADAPT/PACT kick-off a LEAVE MOLINA Campaign

ADAPT of Texas and Personal Attendant Coalition of Texas (PACT) ask consumers who are currently customers of Molina Health Services to switch from Molina to another HMO in their community.

ADAPT/PACT calls for this LEAVE MOLINA Campaign because Molina announced an across the board 10% rate reduction for all STARPlus services including critical Personal Attendant Services, PAS.  Molina bid for and won this contract only four months ago; meanwhile other HMOs are not reducing services.

StarPlus, Texas’ managed care program, contracts with at least two HMO’s in each region to provide needed acute and long term services and supports to eligible low income Texans.  (See attached list of counties and provider HMOs)

Attendants currently are paid at, or barely above, minimum wage. This reduction in PAS rates will mean drastic reductions in attendant wages, not to mention diminishing services and supports to adults and children with disabilities, as well as older Texans.  PAS provider agencies paid by Molina HMO will have little to no choice but to cut services and wages or go out of business.

“These rate reductions will harm real people” said Frank Lozano, ADAPT organizer.  “Don’t be one of those people!”

Ultimately, this blow will come down on people who need help with bathing, dressing, toileting and the like.  But consumers have a choice of which HMO they want to pay for their services and supports. ADAPT/PACT urges people to LEAVE MOLINA by August 31st and go to another HMO in their region; one that is not slashing rates.

Molina may have the right to slash provider rates with the StarPlus contract but consumers have the right to pick the HMO they feel works best for them. Why give your business to a company that has such little regard for their customers and the people who provide the actual services?

The goal of the LEAVE MOLINA Campaign is to preserve the well-being of the real people who use and provide the hands-on services, as well as the integrity of PAS services.  “We have fought too long and hard for these services and supports to see our people and services so completely trashed.” Cathy Cranston PACT organizer said.  “Use the rights we’ve fought for and make a better choice.”