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Tell Congress to Increase Funding for the Ombudsman Program

March 20, 2018

Congress will be making important budget decisions on March 23 when legislators vote on the Omnibus Appropriations Act. Consumer Voice has written a letter to the Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate and House Appropriations Committees and the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies subcommittees requesting increased funding for the long-term care ombudsman program.

We urge you to contact your members of Congress to make a similar request by Friday, March 23.

By email:     Click here to use our online advocacy system to send a pre-crafted message.

By phone:    Call your members of Congress.  

  1. Identify your two Senators and your Congressperson.  If you don’t know who they are, go to: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members, then use the drop down menu where it says, "Or select a state to list all senators and representatives from that state." As soon as you select your state, your members of Congress will pop up.

  2. Call the Capitol switchboard at (202) 224‐3121.  Follow the prompts. 

The Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program is a vital program that protects residents’ rights and helps ensure residents are receiving quality care and quality of life in their chosen long-term care setting.  It is the only program federally mandated to advocate on behalf of residents of long-term care facilities.  But despite its mandate, the LTCOP is currently unable to provide residents with the assistance they need and are entitled to due to insufficient funding.  Additional money for the LTCOP would mean that nursing home and assisted living facility residents who are among our nation’s most vulnerable citizens have someone on their side, at their side.

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