Health Care

The University of Illinois at Chicago is conducting a national study on health and health behavior of adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) and is looking for participants.  The goal of the project is to generate health knowledge to better assist healthcare providers, researchers, and policymakers in addressing the unique needs of adults with an ID. 

The study is seeking family members, caregivers, and/or service workers of adults with ID to complete a 15-25 minute survey along with the adult with ID, once a year for four years.  Participants must be 18 or older and residing in the U.S.  To register and learn more about the study, please visit: Logitudinal Health and Intellectual Disability Study.

The Association of University Centers on Disabilities is pleased to present a 4-part webinar series addressing aspects of health reform that have, or will have, significant impact on the people with disabilities. 

Insurance Market Reforms and Long-Term Services and Supports

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

4:00-5:00 pm Eastern

This webinar will inform participants about how the general insurance market reforms will impact people with disabilities and describe the long term services and supports provisions. These include the CLASS Act, Community First Choice Option, and Money Follows the Person provisions.

Speakers: Kim Musheno, Director of Legislative Affairs, AUCD; Marty Ford, Director of Legal Affairs and Co-Chair LTSS, The Arc/UCP Policy Collaboration Task Force

To sign up for the June 16th Market Reforms Webinar.

Prevention and Wellness

Thursday, June 17, 2010

4:00-5:00 pm Eastern

This webinar will cover provisions related to opportunities for UCEDDs to participate in research, data collection and analysis, and to develop promising practices in the area of health promotion and wellness for individuals with disabilities.

Speakers: Annie Toro, Governmental Relations Director, Trust for America’s Health

To sign up for the June 17th Prevention and Wellness Webinar

Implications for Individuals and Families with Autism

This webinar will focus on provisions that directly impact persons with autism spectrum disorders. This includes training of providers working with children and adults with autism and insurance market reforms that will help people with autism get appropriate interventions and services.

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

4:00-5:00 pm Eastern

Speakers: Stuart Spielman, Senior Policy Advisor & Counsel, Autism Speaks; Jeff Sell, Vice President, Public Policy, Autism Society of America

To sign up for the June 30th Autism Webinar

Workforce Provisions­­

This webinar will cover provisions related to opportunities to provide training to health and allied health care providers caring for individuals with disabilities as well as provisions directly related to direct support professionals.

Thursday, July 8, 2010

4:00-5:00 pm Eastern

Speakers: Christiane A. Mitchell, Director, Federal Affairs, Association of American Medical Colleges; Tannaza Resouli, Senior Legislative Analyst , Association of American Medical Colleges

To sign up for the July 8th Workforce Webinar

 

Every Mother’s Day the Tennessee Justice Center honors its Mothers of the Year.  We choose as many as six women per year who, in the midst of their own family’s medical crisis, speak out to help other families. These are parents who persistently advocate for not only their own children, but all children in need of health care. 

Our staff recruits volunteer photographers, providing our honorees with framed family photos in addition to “Mother of the Year” certificates. This year, we continue a new tradition - the second annual reception and ceremony honoring the mothers in person.    Here are their stories.

Evelyn Human

When TennCare decided to sharply limit home health care for all adults on the program in the fall of 2008, Evelyn Human decided that she was not going to let her son’s care be cut without a fight.  Her son, John, is mentally retarded.  At 25 years old, he has the mental capacity of a small child.  He requires constant care, almost continuous suctioning to keep his airways clear, and assistance with all aspects of his life.  He had been receiving enough in-home nursing care from TennCare for his mother to work and provide for the family.  TennCare’s new rules, however, said that his in-home nursing hours would be capped at 35 hours per week.  With only 35 hours, John would be left unattended for long stretches, and could aspirate from lack of suctioning. 

To read all of Evelyn's story.

Patricia Womac

Ms. Womac’s daughter, seven-year-old Hannah, suffers from Rett Syndrome, a rare and devastating disorder of the nervous system that renders her incontinent and unable to speak or walk on her own.  Rett Syndrome occurs mostly in girls and is occurs in one in every 10,000 - 23,000 female births.  Due to these conditions, plus difficulty breathing and frequent seizures, Hannah receives nursing care through TennCare.  Even with nurses, Hannah’s mother cares for her full-time – lifting, bathing, and feeding Hannah and fighting to make sure she gets what she needs.  

Hannah’s caregivers take joy in her small pleasures and accomplishments.  She loves to watch cartoons including “Miss Spider’s Sunny Patch Kids” – a show about a family of bugs who live in the Hollow Tree. 

To read all of Patricia's story.

Maria Vasquez

Eleven-year-old Henry Vasquez has severe Asperger’s Syndrome, a development disorder on the Autism spectrum. His anxiety and self-harming behaviors prompted Henry’s doctor to order Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) therapy, a treatment for children with Asperger’s which involves family members. Asperger’s affects Henry’s emotions and his speech – he stutters and can't get words out. 

Henry’s mother, Maria, speaks only Spanish, and requires an interpreter to participate in her son’s hands-on ABA treatment. But a TennCare HMO told the family that it would only cover interpretation services over the phone, not hands-on. TennCare’s offer was not only ineffective for the Vasquezes, but a violation of their rights. 

To read all of Maria's story.

To learn more visit the TN Justice Center online.

Legislation that would require health insurers to cover hearing aids for children hit a snag yesterday with 4 Senators voting to approve it, 3 voting to abstain, and others absent.  It only needed 5 votes and as a result the Senate Commerce Committee failed approve the bill.  However, we may get a second chance to pass it out of that committee.

If your legislator is on the Commerce Committee please contact them immediately, today, and ask that they support the legislation.

A few things to keep in mind when contacting your personal legislator: 1) be polite, personable, and include a personal story if you have one that is relevant, 2) give the bill number – SB 160, and 3) provide your contact information (address) so the legislator knows that you live in their districts.  If sending an email, please copy us at news@tndisability.org so we can track our success!  Please only contact legislators who represent your district or with whom you have a personal relationship.

Children's Hearing Aid Legislation (SB 160 by Ketron / HB 636 by Maggart) - Will improve health care and educational outcomes for children with hearing loss by requiring insurance plans to include coverage for hearing aids.  This is supported by the Coalition and a wide range of partners.  Please ask your legislator to support it.

Senate Commerce Committee - Click a legislator's name to get their contact information.

Reginald Tate - Dist. 33 - Part of Shelby County

Jack Johnson - Dist. 23 - Williamson & Parts of Davidson Co.

 

Dewayne Bunch - Dist. 9 - Bradley, McMinn, Meigs, and Polk Counties

Charlotte Burks - Dist. 15 - Cumberland, Jackson, Overton, Pickett, Putnam & White Counties

Mae Beavers - Dist. 17 - Cannon, Clay, DeKalb, Macon, Smith, Trousdale, Wilson and part of Sumner County.

Tim Burchett - Dist. 7 - Part of Knox County

Bill Ketron - Dist. 13 - Lincoln, Marshall, Maury and part of Rutherford County.

Steve Southerland - Dist. 1 - Cocke, Greene, Hamblen, and Unicoi Counties

Eric Stewart - Dist. 14 - Franklin, Bledsoe, Coffee, Grundy, Sequatchie, Van Buren and Warren Counties.

 

There are numerous provisions of Health Insurance Reform that will go into effect within a year.  These provisions are pursant to the Senate Bill, as amended by the House.

1. SMALL BUSINESS TAX CREDITS - Offers tax credits to small businesses to make employee coverage more affordable. Tax credits of up to 35 percent of premiums will be immediately available to firms that choose to offer coverage. Effective beginning for calendar year 2010. (Beginning in 2014, the small business tax credits will cover 50 percent of premiums.)
2. BEGINS TO CLOSE THE MEDICARE PART D DONUT HOLE - Provides a $250 rebate to Medicare beneficiaries who hit the donut hole in 2010. Effective for calendar year 2010. (Beginning in 2011, institutes a 50% discount on brand-name drugs in the donut hole; also completely closes the donut hole by 2020.)
3. FREE PREVENTIVE CARE UNDER MEDICARE - Eliminates co-payments for preventive services and exempts preventive services from deductibles under the Medicare program. Effective beginning January 1, 2011.
4. HELP FOR EARLY RETIREES - Creates a temporary re-insurance program (until the Exchanges are available) to help offset the costs of expensive premiums for employers and retirees for health benefits for retirees age 55_64. Effective 90 days after enactment.
5. ENDS RESCISSIONS - Bans insurance companies from dropping people from coverage when they get sick. Effective 6 months after enactment.
6. NO DISCRIMINATION AGAINST CHILDREN WITH PRE_EXISTING CONDITIONS - Prohibits new health plans in all markets plus grandfathered group health plans from denying coverage to children with pre-existing conditions. Effective 6 months after enactment. (Beginning in 2014, this prohibition would apply to all persons.)
7. BANS LIFETIME LIMITS ON COVERAGE - Prohibits health insurance companies from placing lifetime caps on coverage. Effective 6 months after enactment.
8. BANS RESTRICTIVE ANNUAL LIMITS ON COVERAGE - Tightly restricts the use of annual limits to ensure access to needed care in all new plans and grandfathered group health plans. These tight restrictions will be defined by HHS. Effective 6 months after enactment. (Beginning in 2014, the use of any annual limits would be prohibited for all new plans and grandfathered group health plans.)
9. FREE PREVENTIVE CARE UNDER NEW PRIVATE PLANS - Requires new private plans to cover preventive services with no co-payments and with preventive services being exempt from deductibles. Effective 6 months after enactment. UNDER SENATE BI LL AS AMENDED BY RECONCILIATION BI LL, KEY PROVISIONS TAKE EFFECT IMMEDIATELY.
10. NEW, INDEPENDENT APPEALS PROCESS - Ensures consumers in new plans have access to an effective internal and external appeals process to appeal decisions by their health insurance plan. Effective 6 months after enactment.
11. ENSURING VALUE FOR PREMIUM PAYMENTS - Requires plans in the individual and small group market to spend 80 percent of premium dollars on medical services, and plans in the large group market to spend 85 percent. Insurers that do not meet these thresholds must provide rebates to policyholders. Effective on January 1, 2011.
12. IMMEDIATE HELP FOR THE UNINSURED UNTIL EXCHANGE IS AVAILABLE (INTERIM HIGH_RISK POOL) - Provides immediate access to affordable insurance for Americans who are uninsured because of a pre-existing condition through a temporary subsidized high-risk pool. Effective 90 days after enactment.
13. EXTENDS COVERAGE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE UP TO 26TH BIRTHDAY THROUGH PARENTS’ INSURANCE - Tightly restricts the use of annual limits to ensure access to needed care in all new plans and grandfathered group health plans. These tight restrictions will be defined by HHS. Effective 6 months after enactment.
14. COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS - Increases funding for Community Health Centers to allow for nearly a doubling of the number of patients seen by the centers over the next 5 years. Effective beginning in fiscal year 2010.
15. INCREASING NUMBER OF PRIMARY CARE DOCTORS - Provides new investment in training programs to increase the number of primary care doctors, nurses, and public health professionals. Effective beginning in fiscal year 2010.
16. PROHIBITING DISCRIMINATION BASED ON SALARY - Prohibits group health plans from establishing any eligibility rules for health care coverage that have the effect of discriminating in favor of higher wage employees. Effective 6 months after enactment.
17. HEALTH INSURANCE CONSUMER INFORMATION - Provides aid to states in establishing offices of health insurance consumer assistance in order to help individuals with the filing of complaints and appeals. Effective beginning in FY 2010.
18. CREATES NEW, VOLUNTARY, PUBLIC LONG-TERM CARE INSURANCE PROGRAM - Creates a long-term care insurance program to be financed by voluntary payroll deductions to provide home- and community-based services to adults who become functionally disabled. Effective onJanuary 1, 2011.

To keep up with the latest developments visit the TN Health Care Campaign at www.thcc2.org

For details from C-SPAN including archived video and text of legislation go to www.cspan.org