This week, CEO Maura Sullivan spoke on a panel of Healthcare stakeholders held by the Massachusetts Health Council about the need for a more robust primary care system to support adults with autism and IDD. The event centered around the Senate’s Primary Care for You bill.
For people with autism and IDD, it is three times harder to find primary care providers. They utilize the Emergency Department 77% more – for conditions that could be managed or treated by primary care providers. The Primary Care for You bill will enhance care coordination and access to behavioral health.
Thank you to the over 430 people who completed our Healthcare Standards amendment action alert in the last 72+ hours! This response shows the incredible passion that our community holds for improving the standards of care and developing robust training opportunities for providers to better care for people with autism and IDD.
Although The Arc’s Healthcare standards amendment was not included in the Primary Care for you bill, it is still on a very positive path in the legislature with support from Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association, Healthcare for All, Massachusetts Medical Society, and most of our major Boston hospital systems.
If you haven’t weighed in yet, you can still take action here.
