Friday, May 7, 2010
ANCOR's 2009 DSP Wage Study Released
ANCOR's 2009 DSP Wage Study is now available online. To access visit www.youneedtoknowme.org or click here.
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Thursday, May 6, 2010
HHS Awards ARRA Funds to Establish a Center of Excellence in Research on Disability Services, Care Coordination and Integration
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Disability today announced the award of over $6 million under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, to establish a Center of Excellence in Research on Disability Services, Care Coordination and Integration.
The contract has been awarded to Mathematica Policy Research, Inc for a two-year period and is aimed at building the infrastructure necessary to support and conduct research on the effectiveness and comparative effectiveness of systems of care for people with disabilities. "With the establishment of a Center of Excellence in Research on Disability Services, Care Coordination and Integration, we will make necessary data improvements to better understand health and support services for people with disabilities," said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. "The data collected will allow the Office on Disability and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to examine the effectiveness of different services and supports being provided, and in turn, improve care for people with disabilities."
The center will identify data sources, evaluate the usability of data, conduct research, and disseminate scientifically and clinically relevant information to help patients, providers, policy makers, consumers, caregivers, and family members make decisions on health care.
One of the key components of this effort is the collaboration with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' Chronic Conditions Warehouse (CCW). "By linking existing Medicaid data sources and other datasets relevant to disability to the CCW, the Center will increase the analytic utility of CCW information for research on people with disabilities and/or chronic conditions," said Rosaly Correa-de-Araujo, M.D., M.Sc., Ph.D., Deputy Director of the Office on Disability and the technical and scientific lead of the initiative.
In addition, Medicaid data - state plan and waiver services supplied by specific states - will be assessed and used to identify and propose ways to achieve greater consistency on how services are used and defined. "This is a unique initiative that creates a broad array of future opportunities in comparative effectiveness research in the field of disability services, including those related to rehabilitation, behavioral and psychosocial interventions. We look forward to advancing science and enhancing services and supports that benefit people with disabilities," said Dr. Correa-de-Araujo.
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The contract has been awarded to Mathematica Policy Research, Inc for a two-year period and is aimed at building the infrastructure necessary to support and conduct research on the effectiveness and comparative effectiveness of systems of care for people with disabilities. "With the establishment of a Center of Excellence in Research on Disability Services, Care Coordination and Integration, we will make necessary data improvements to better understand health and support services for people with disabilities," said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. "The data collected will allow the Office on Disability and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to examine the effectiveness of different services and supports being provided, and in turn, improve care for people with disabilities."
The center will identify data sources, evaluate the usability of data, conduct research, and disseminate scientifically and clinically relevant information to help patients, providers, policy makers, consumers, caregivers, and family members make decisions on health care.
One of the key components of this effort is the collaboration with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' Chronic Conditions Warehouse (CCW). "By linking existing Medicaid data sources and other datasets relevant to disability to the CCW, the Center will increase the analytic utility of CCW information for research on people with disabilities and/or chronic conditions," said Rosaly Correa-de-Araujo, M.D., M.Sc., Ph.D., Deputy Director of the Office on Disability and the technical and scientific lead of the initiative.
In addition, Medicaid data - state plan and waiver services supplied by specific states - will be assessed and used to identify and propose ways to achieve greater consistency on how services are used and defined. "This is a unique initiative that creates a broad array of future opportunities in comparative effectiveness research in the field of disability services, including those related to rehabilitation, behavioral and psychosocial interventions. We look forward to advancing science and enhancing services and supports that benefit people with disabilities," said Dr. Correa-de-Araujo.
Read more!
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
HHS Consumer Website Expected July 1; Will Include Data on Public, Private Plans
The Department of Health and Human Services plans to unveil the first iteration of a website designed to help individuals and small businesses find information about insurance options in their state by July 1, according to an interim final rule published in the May 5 Federal Register. The HHS Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight will oversee the web portal that will provide consumers with state-based information about private insurance, high-risk pools, Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program—as required by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Pub. L. No. 111-148). To meet PPACA's July 1 deadline, HHS said it will require insurance issuers to submit needed information by May 21, such as product names and types, enrollment data, and product availability. The web portal will include information about plans' services, providers, and formularies, if available. The portal also will include information about eligibility and enrollment procedures for public programs.
Then, in October, HHS will expand the portal to include more detailed information about pricing and benefits, as well as more information about enrollment in public programs. HHS said that for plans offered in states without community rating, any information about premiums will be presented in terms of standard risks, even though insurers can vary rates based on health status. HHS also said it anticipates including medical loss ratio information through the portal, once regulations defining MLRs are promulgated. Under the reform law, insurers must spend a set percentage of premiums on health services, as opposed to administrative costs.
Comments on the interim final rule are due 30 days from its publication.
HHS also said it plans to offer training to states and health insurance issuers about the information that must be submitted for development of the portal.
The rule and further information about it are available at http://www.hhs.gov/ociio/gatheringinfo/index.html.
Read more!
Then, in October, HHS will expand the portal to include more detailed information about pricing and benefits, as well as more information about enrollment in public programs. HHS said that for plans offered in states without community rating, any information about premiums will be presented in terms of standard risks, even though insurers can vary rates based on health status. HHS also said it anticipates including medical loss ratio information through the portal, once regulations defining MLRs are promulgated. Under the reform law, insurers must spend a set percentage of premiums on health services, as opposed to administrative costs.
Comments on the interim final rule are due 30 days from its publication.
HHS also said it plans to offer training to states and health insurance issuers about the information that must be submitted for development of the portal.
The rule and further information about it are available at http://www.hhs.gov/ociio/gatheringinfo/index.html.
Read more!
ANCOR Calls for FMAP Extension Now!
Respond to ANCOR's FMAP Action Alert Today! ANCOR members are urged to make passage of the FMAP extension a top priority this week! Call Your Senate and House offices and spread the word!
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Friday, April 30, 2010
New Co-Sponsor for Direct Support Professionals Fairness and Security Act
Representative Russ Carnahan (D-MO) signed on as Co-Sponsors for H.R. 868, The Direct Support Professional Fairness and Security Act. Thank you to everyone who contacted their members encouraging them to sign on.
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Gear Up for FMAP Push Next Week
Check your in-box Monday for an Action Alert on the FMAP extension. ANCOR members need Congress to address the bill (HR 4213) that contains the Recovery Act FMAP extension ASAP to help state budget efforts underway now. According to sources on Capitol Hill, there is no loss of political will to move the provision, it's a matter of money. The FMAP extension carries bipartisan support, but members are currently at an impasse over whether the provision should be offset or passed as an emergency measure.
Also circulating behind-the-scenes, under the leadership of Representative Lois Capps (D-CA), is a Dear Colleague letter with a deadline of next week for signatories. The letter to House leadership urges swift action on the FMAP provision in H.R. 4213 and to resolve differences between the House and Senate versions, so the final bill can go to the President for his signature. In addition to Representative Capps (D-CA), other cosponsors are Representatives Chellie Pingree (D-ME), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Gene Green (D-TX). ANCOR thanks these Congressional leaders for their support and action on this important issue.
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Also circulating behind-the-scenes, under the leadership of Representative Lois Capps (D-CA), is a Dear Colleague letter with a deadline of next week for signatories. The letter to House leadership urges swift action on the FMAP provision in H.R. 4213 and to resolve differences between the House and Senate versions, so the final bill can go to the President for his signature. In addition to Representative Capps (D-CA), other cosponsors are Representatives Chellie Pingree (D-ME), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Gene Green (D-TX). ANCOR thanks these Congressional leaders for their support and action on this important issue.
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HHS Releases Second Quarter FMAP Rates
In today’s Federal Register, HHS announced the adjusted FMAP rates for the second quarter of FY 2010, as required in the Recovery Act (ARRA). See today’s Federal Register Notice for your state’s adjusted rate.
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Secretary Sebelius Announces New Members of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced today the appointment of five new members to the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC), a federal advisory committee created in an effort to accelerate progress in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) research and services. For more information on the IACC, visit http://www.iacc.hhs.gov/
New Members of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee
Geraldine Dawson, Ph.D.
As chief science officer for Autism Speaks, Dr. Dawson works with the scientific community and stakeholders to shape and expand the foundation's scientific vision. She also is a licensed clinical psychologist with a research focus on early detection and intervention, early patterns of brain dysfunction and the identification of biological markers for autism genetic studies. Dr. Dawson also serves as research professor of psychiatry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, adjunct professor of psychiatry at Columbia University and professor emeritus of psychology at University of Washington.
Gerald D. Fischbach, M.D.
Dr. Fischbach is the scientific director for the Simons Foundation where he oversees the Autism Research Initiative. He has spent his career as a neuroscientist studying the formation and maintenance of synapses, the junctions between nerve cells which allow signals to be transmitted. Before joining the Simons Foundation, Dr. Fischbach served as the Director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke from 1998 to 2001 and as the Executive Vice President of Columbia University Medical Center and Dean of the faculties of medicine from 2001 to 2006.
Ari Ne'eman
Mr. Ari Ne'eman is the founding president of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, where he works to increase the representation of autistic people in public policy discussions. He is an adult on the autism spectrum and a leading advocate in the neurodiversity movement. Mr. Ne'eman has served on the New Jersey Adults with Autism Task Force and the New Jersey Special Education Review Commission, where he authored a minority report advocating legislative action against the use of aversives, restraint and seclusion. He is a board member of TASH, an advocacy group for people with disabilities, and is involved with the Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education.
Denise D. Resnik
Denise Resnik is the co-founder and board development chair of the Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center (SARRC). She is the mother of an 18-year-old son with autism. Ms. Resnik serves on the Autism Speaks Family Services Committee and Advancing Futures for Adults with Autism (AFAA) Steering Committee. She participated in the 2006 NIMH Autism Matrix Review and the IACC Scientific Workshops to develop the IACC Strategic Plan and subsequent updates.
Marjorie Solomon, Ph.D.
Assistant professor of Clinical Psychiatry at the University of California, Davis Dr. Marjorie Solomon is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of California, Davis. She serves on the Faculty of the Medical Investigation of Neurological Disorders (MIND) Institute and the Autism Research Training Program where she conducts research on a social skills training intervention for high-functioning children with ASD, incorporating parents and siblings in the research. In addition to her clinical research work, Dr. Solomon studies cognition and learning in high-functioning individuals with ASD. Read more!
New Members of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee
Geraldine Dawson, Ph.D.
As chief science officer for Autism Speaks, Dr. Dawson works with the scientific community and stakeholders to shape and expand the foundation's scientific vision. She also is a licensed clinical psychologist with a research focus on early detection and intervention, early patterns of brain dysfunction and the identification of biological markers for autism genetic studies. Dr. Dawson also serves as research professor of psychiatry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, adjunct professor of psychiatry at Columbia University and professor emeritus of psychology at University of Washington.
Gerald D. Fischbach, M.D.
Dr. Fischbach is the scientific director for the Simons Foundation where he oversees the Autism Research Initiative. He has spent his career as a neuroscientist studying the formation and maintenance of synapses, the junctions between nerve cells which allow signals to be transmitted. Before joining the Simons Foundation, Dr. Fischbach served as the Director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke from 1998 to 2001 and as the Executive Vice President of Columbia University Medical Center and Dean of the faculties of medicine from 2001 to 2006.
Ari Ne'eman
Mr. Ari Ne'eman is the founding president of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, where he works to increase the representation of autistic people in public policy discussions. He is an adult on the autism spectrum and a leading advocate in the neurodiversity movement. Mr. Ne'eman has served on the New Jersey Adults with Autism Task Force and the New Jersey Special Education Review Commission, where he authored a minority report advocating legislative action against the use of aversives, restraint and seclusion. He is a board member of TASH, an advocacy group for people with disabilities, and is involved with the Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education.
Denise D. Resnik
Denise Resnik is the co-founder and board development chair of the Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center (SARRC). She is the mother of an 18-year-old son with autism. Ms. Resnik serves on the Autism Speaks Family Services Committee and Advancing Futures for Adults with Autism (AFAA) Steering Committee. She participated in the 2006 NIMH Autism Matrix Review and the IACC Scientific Workshops to develop the IACC Strategic Plan and subsequent updates.
Marjorie Solomon, Ph.D.
Assistant professor of Clinical Psychiatry at the University of California, Davis Dr. Marjorie Solomon is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of California, Davis. She serves on the Faculty of the Medical Investigation of Neurological Disorders (MIND) Institute and the Autism Research Training Program where she conducts research on a social skills training intervention for high-functioning children with ASD, incorporating parents and siblings in the research. In addition to her clinical research work, Dr. Solomon studies cognition and learning in high-functioning individuals with ASD. Read more!
Bipartisan Group of Representatives, Senators Introduce the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Act
This legislation continues the legacy of Mrs. Shriver by reauthorizing the Special Olympics Sport and Empowerment Act, which has supported persons with disabilities through health, education and global initiatives. This legislation also includes the Best Buddies Empowerment for People with Intellectual Disabilities Act, originally passed by the House in April 2009, to make grants to the Best Buddies organization to expand its programming. In addition, this legislation authorizes grants to support research, training and technical assistance at universities with expertise in serving people with intellectual disabilities and their families. These grants will help improve their quality of life and ensure opportunities for full participation. Mrs. Shriver, who passed away in August 2009, founded the Special Olympics and was a longtime supporter and board member of Best Buddies.
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Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Pilot Program in U.S. House of Representatives Provides Internship Opportunities to Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities
A story today in the Washington DC newspaper Politico showcases a pilot program aimed at giving individuals with intellectual disabilities opportunities to experience a high profile work place: the U.S. House of Representatives. The internships are part of a pilot program created by Representative Gregg Harper (R-MO), House Administration Committee Republicans and Mason LIFE, a post-secondary program at George Mason University for adults with intellectual disabilities. The students do everything from answering constituent mail and shredding paper to learning how to give tours of the Capitol.
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Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Social Security Task Force - Commission on Fiscal Responsibility
The National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform had its first meeting on Tuesday April 27. the commission will hold monthly public meetings and invites the public to submit comments in writing. Meetings are tentatively scheduled for 9:30 am to noon the last Wednesday of May through September as well as Nov. 10 and Dec. 1 - when the commission is supposed to deliver its plan to "stabilize the soaring US debt.
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Debt Commission Convenes First Meeting
At a three-hour White House meeting on Tuesday, debt commission members began discussions to move toward meeting the goal of the commission: bring the deficit down to about 3 percent of the gross domestic product by FY 2015 and begin to slow the long-term growth in the national debt. The panel, as outlined in a February executive order, is supposed to send recommendations to Congress on December 1; however, that requires 14 of the 18 commissioners to approve the package. The panel is made up of 10 Democrats and eight Republicans. Obama selected the co-chairmen and four other members; congressional Democratic and Republican leaders picked members of Congress to serve.
Democrats are concerned that social safety net programs will be targeted for savings, Republican lawmakers and conservative groups including Americans for Tax Reform contend that tax increases should not be part of the panel’s deliberations.
“The reality is that the Congress, the administration and the American people will have to choose among making modifications to entitlement programs such as Medicare and Social Security, restraining federal spending on everything else, accepting higher taxes, or some combination thereof,” said Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke.
Obama and the commission’s co-chairmen — former Senator Alan Simpson, (R-WY) and Erskine Bowles, a White House chief of staff under President Bill Clinton — emphasized that every option for reducing deficits and controlling the long-term growth in debt should be considered. Obama said he would not heed calls to rule out some proposals from the outset.
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Democrats are concerned that social safety net programs will be targeted for savings, Republican lawmakers and conservative groups including Americans for Tax Reform contend that tax increases should not be part of the panel’s deliberations.
“The reality is that the Congress, the administration and the American people will have to choose among making modifications to entitlement programs such as Medicare and Social Security, restraining federal spending on everything else, accepting higher taxes, or some combination thereof,” said Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke.
Obama and the commission’s co-chairmen — former Senator Alan Simpson, (R-WY) and Erskine Bowles, a White House chief of staff under President Bill Clinton — emphasized that every option for reducing deficits and controlling the long-term growth in debt should be considered. Obama said he would not heed calls to rule out some proposals from the outset.
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Wednesday, April 21, 2010
FREE Members Only Health Care Reform Webinar
Health Reform. It's big... it's complex... and just what in the world happens next? Most of all, what provisions affect ANCOR members, direct support professionals, and individuals with disabilities?
Date:
Wednesday, April 28, 2010 - 2:00pm - 3:15pm
In this FREE webinar, Suellen Galbraith, ANCOR's Senior Policy Advisor, will outline important facets of the health reform bill including employer responsibilities, individual mandates, and huge Medicaid changes. This webinar is intended to provide a swift explanation of the most significant provisions affecting ANCOR members and give you an opportunity to ask questions.
Do not miss this important program — it is the first in a series from ANCOR to prepare its members for the coming changes. The information you gain by attending will have far-reaching effects on how you manage your organization in light of this restructure of employer-based health insurance.
Some questions to be answered include:
* When do employer requirements become effective? And what are they?
* How will state Medicaid programs be effected and assisted in covering health care costs?
* Is there Federal assistance to encourage states to urge more Home and Community Based Long Term Services and Supports?
This is a "can't miss" webinar for all ANCOR members about the changes created by the health care bill that will impact their organization.
The free, members-only webinar takes place on April 28, 2010, 2:00 - 3:15 pm Eastern. If you are an ANCOR member and this is your first time logging in to ANCOR's new website, you will need to establish a password prior to registration.
Click here to register.
Check out ANCOR's Health Care Reform Issue Brief Series...
Download your ANCOR Health Care Reform Issue Brief!
Download your ANCOR Health Care Reform Medicaid Issue Brief!
Download your ANCOR Health Care Reform Medicaid Related Provisions Issue Brief!
Download your ANCOR Health Care Reform Long Term Services and Supports Issue Brief!
Read more!
Date:
Wednesday, April 28, 2010 - 2:00pm - 3:15pm
In this FREE webinar, Suellen Galbraith, ANCOR's Senior Policy Advisor, will outline important facets of the health reform bill including employer responsibilities, individual mandates, and huge Medicaid changes. This webinar is intended to provide a swift explanation of the most significant provisions affecting ANCOR members and give you an opportunity to ask questions.
Do not miss this important program — it is the first in a series from ANCOR to prepare its members for the coming changes. The information you gain by attending will have far-reaching effects on how you manage your organization in light of this restructure of employer-based health insurance.
Some questions to be answered include:
* When do employer requirements become effective? And what are they?
* How will state Medicaid programs be effected and assisted in covering health care costs?
* Is there Federal assistance to encourage states to urge more Home and Community Based Long Term Services and Supports?
This is a "can't miss" webinar for all ANCOR members about the changes created by the health care bill that will impact their organization.
The free, members-only webinar takes place on April 28, 2010, 2:00 - 3:15 pm Eastern. If you are an ANCOR member and this is your first time logging in to ANCOR's new website, you will need to establish a password prior to registration.
Click here to register.
Check out ANCOR's Health Care Reform Issue Brief Series...
Download your ANCOR Health Care Reform Issue Brief!
Download your ANCOR Health Care Reform Medicaid Issue Brief!
Download your ANCOR Health Care Reform Medicaid Related Provisions Issue Brief!
Download your ANCOR Health Care Reform Long Term Services and Supports Issue Brief!
Read more!
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
HHS Sets Up Consumer Information & Insurance Oversight Office To Oversee Health Insurance Reforms
HHS is establishing an Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight charged with developing and implementing major reforms affecting the private insurance market. The new office will design and administer the temporary high-risk pools, establish new rules on medical loss ratios and oversee the state-based health insurance exchanges.
As announced in the April 19th Federal Register, the new office will design and administer the temporary high-risk pools, establish new rules on medical loss ratios and oversee the state-based health insurance exchanges. A director has yet to be announced.
The director of the new office will report to the HHS secretary, according to an HHS Federal Register notice. Four deputy directors will head additional programs established under the new office, including: The Office of Oversight, Office of Insurance Programs, Office of Consumer Support and Office of Health Insurance Exchanges.
The Office of Oversight will be headed by a deputy director and will be responsible for implementing, monitoring compliance with and enforcing new rules governing the insurance market and medical loss ratios; performing rate reviews and issuing rate review grants to states.
The Office of Consumer Support, is to be led by a deputy director, will be responsible for collecting, compiling and maintaining comparative pricing data for the HHS Website; providing assistance to help consumers obtain the maximum benefits from the new health insurance system and establishing and issuing consumer assistance grants to states.
The Office of Insurance Programs will be tasked with administering the temporary high-risk pools and the early retiree reinsurance program.
And the Office of Health Insurance Exchanges will develop and implement policies and rules governing the state-based exchanges; establish and issue planning grants to states; and oversee the operation of the exchanges.
Read more!
As announced in the April 19th Federal Register, the new office will design and administer the temporary high-risk pools, establish new rules on medical loss ratios and oversee the state-based health insurance exchanges. A director has yet to be announced.
The director of the new office will report to the HHS secretary, according to an HHS Federal Register notice. Four deputy directors will head additional programs established under the new office, including: The Office of Oversight, Office of Insurance Programs, Office of Consumer Support and Office of Health Insurance Exchanges.
The Office of Oversight will be headed by a deputy director and will be responsible for implementing, monitoring compliance with and enforcing new rules governing the insurance market and medical loss ratios; performing rate reviews and issuing rate review grants to states.
The Office of Consumer Support, is to be led by a deputy director, will be responsible for collecting, compiling and maintaining comparative pricing data for the HHS Website; providing assistance to help consumers obtain the maximum benefits from the new health insurance system and establishing and issuing consumer assistance grants to states.
The Office of Insurance Programs will be tasked with administering the temporary high-risk pools and the early retiree reinsurance program.
And the Office of Health Insurance Exchanges will develop and implement policies and rules governing the state-based exchanges; establish and issue planning grants to states; and oversee the operation of the exchanges.
Read more!
Obama Nominates Donald Berwick To Be Next Administrator of CMS
President Obama April 19 nominated Harvard professor Donald Berwick to be the next administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, a post that has been vacant since late 2006. Berwick is a clinical professor of pediatrics and health care policy at the Harvard Medical School and the Harvard School of Public Health. He is also president and chief executive officer of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based not-for-profit organization that promotes the improvement of health care.
CMS has been without a permanent administrator since October 2006 when Mark McClellan left the agency. Kerry N. Weems served as acting CMS administrator from 2007 until the end of the Bush administration. Charlene Frizzera is currently the agency's acting administrator.
Berwick, whose name surfaced several months ago as a possible nominee for the post, must be approved by the Senate Finance Committee and the entire Senate before beginning his job.
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CMS has been without a permanent administrator since October 2006 when Mark McClellan left the agency. Kerry N. Weems served as acting CMS administrator from 2007 until the end of the Bush administration. Charlene Frizzera is currently the agency's acting administrator.
Berwick, whose name surfaced several months ago as a possible nominee for the post, must be approved by the Senate Finance Committee and the entire Senate before beginning his job.
Read more!
Friday, April 16, 2010
President Signs Short Term Extension Bill; Negotiations Continue on Jobs Bill with FMAP
Congress this week concluded work on the Continuing Extension Act of 2010 (HR 4851), also referred to as the “extensions bill.” House passage came Thursday evening a few hours after the Senate passed an amended version of the bill, and the president signed it shortly after that.
In addition to extending expanded unemployment benefits through the end of May, the short-term legislation would extend COBRA health insurance subsidies for the unemployed and higher payments for physicians who treat Medicare patients. It also would extend a national flood insurance program and the use of 2009 poverty guidelines for federal programs.
The short-term extension package is designed to buy time for House and Senate negotiators to reach a deal on the American Workers, State and Business Relief Act of 2010 (HR 4213), which extends the unemployment benefits through the end of the year and the temporary FMAP increase originally passed as part of the Recovery Act through June 2011. ANCOR members are encouraged to call their members of Congress and encourage them to swiftly resolve the differences in HR 4213.
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In addition to extending expanded unemployment benefits through the end of May, the short-term legislation would extend COBRA health insurance subsidies for the unemployed and higher payments for physicians who treat Medicare patients. It also would extend a national flood insurance program and the use of 2009 poverty guidelines for federal programs.
The short-term extension package is designed to buy time for House and Senate negotiators to reach a deal on the American Workers, State and Business Relief Act of 2010 (HR 4213), which extends the unemployment benefits through the end of the year and the temporary FMAP increase originally passed as part of the Recovery Act through June 2011. ANCOR members are encouraged to call their members of Congress and encourage them to swiftly resolve the differences in HR 4213.
Read more!
Florida House Proposes Managed Care for People with Developmental Disabilities
Two bills have been drafted by the Florida House Select Policy Council on Strategic & Economic Planning that will require all purchased services to people with developmental disabilities funded through Medicaid be administered by a HMO or Provider Service Network. The drafts are expected to go directly to the floor of the House for consideration. The Florida Senate is expected to consider this or another similar plan next week. Thank you to Joe Aneillo for letting ANCOR know of this development.
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Thursday, April 15, 2010
Andy Stern Announces Retirement as SEIU President
Andy Stern, president of the Service Employees International Union, officially announced his retirement on Wednesday, after 14 years at the helm of the 2.2-million member union.
While it was originally speculated that Stern would leave when his term ended in 2012, his immediate retirement puts SEIU Secretary-Treasurer Anna Burger in the role of interim-president until the union’s International Executive Board votes on Stern’s successor. The SEIU constitution stipulates that the IEB must schedule an election within 30 days.
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While it was originally speculated that Stern would leave when his term ended in 2012, his immediate retirement puts SEIU Secretary-Treasurer Anna Burger in the role of interim-president until the union’s International Executive Board votes on Stern’s successor. The SEIU constitution stipulates that the IEB must schedule an election within 30 days.
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Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Kansas Lawsuit Filed Against Huge Medicaid Cuts Denied
The Kansas Supreme Court last week said it lacked jurisdiction to take up a lawsuit filed on behalf of Kansans with disabilities. The action leaves open the door for litigation to be filed in a lower district court as groups representing the disabled reel from a 10 percent cut in Medicaid reimbursements.
The case stems from a 10 percent cut to funding for Medicaid reimbursements—money that Governor Parkinson (D) said he wants to see restored even as lawmakers battle a budget gap now exceeding $400 million. He called restoring the funds "critical."
The 10 percent cut, which was implemented in January, eliminates $22.7 million in state funds for Medicaid programs this year. Of that, about $6.2 million affected services for people with disabilities and mental health programs. The state-level cuts also meant the state lost significant matching federal funds, which pay about 70 percent of Medicaid costs.
The Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services has seen its waiting list for people with developmental disabilities seeking home and community-based services expand to 2,236 as of February 28. That is up from 1,397 in July 2008 and 1,655 in July 2009.
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The case stems from a 10 percent cut to funding for Medicaid reimbursements—money that Governor Parkinson (D) said he wants to see restored even as lawmakers battle a budget gap now exceeding $400 million. He called restoring the funds "critical."
The 10 percent cut, which was implemented in January, eliminates $22.7 million in state funds for Medicaid programs this year. Of that, about $6.2 million affected services for people with disabilities and mental health programs. The state-level cuts also meant the state lost significant matching federal funds, which pay about 70 percent of Medicaid costs.
The Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services has seen its waiting list for people with developmental disabilities seeking home and community-based services expand to 2,236 as of February 28. That is up from 1,397 in July 2008 and 1,655 in July 2009.
Read more!
Mississippi Health Care Association Files Suit to Stop Medicaid Cuts
The Mississippi Health Care Association, the Independent Nursing Home Association and dozens of nursing homes from across the state filed a lawsuit Thursday seeking to stop the Mississippi Division of Medicaid from making a planned $14 million cut in payments to providers.
The lawsuit filed in Hinds County Chancery Court late Thursday afternoon argues that state reserve funds can be used to shore up the Medicaid budget and the cuts are unnecessary.
The suit seeks an injunction to stop the cuts over the uncertainty of "adequate funding" for providers. The cuts are pending federal permission.
Mississippi Medicaid recently announced plans to cut $14 million in reimbursements to health care providers for services for the remainder of the fiscal year, which ends June 30, because of successive months of revenue collections below estimates. However, tax revenue collections were on target in March.
Calls by Democratic lawmakers to dip into state reserves to close the gap have been rebuked by Governor Barbour (R), who argues the state's savings needs to last for several years.
The largest chunk of money went to public education, and Medicaid was not on the restoration list. About $14 million of an $82 million budget patch-up plan approved by lawmakers, however, was provided via a stimulus-related federal government reimbursement to the Division of Medicaid.
Read more!
The lawsuit filed in Hinds County Chancery Court late Thursday afternoon argues that state reserve funds can be used to shore up the Medicaid budget and the cuts are unnecessary.
The suit seeks an injunction to stop the cuts over the uncertainty of "adequate funding" for providers. The cuts are pending federal permission.
Mississippi Medicaid recently announced plans to cut $14 million in reimbursements to health care providers for services for the remainder of the fiscal year, which ends June 30, because of successive months of revenue collections below estimates. However, tax revenue collections were on target in March.
Calls by Democratic lawmakers to dip into state reserves to close the gap have been rebuked by Governor Barbour (R), who argues the state's savings needs to last for several years.
The largest chunk of money went to public education, and Medicaid was not on the restoration list. About $14 million of an $82 million budget patch-up plan approved by lawmakers, however, was provided via a stimulus-related federal government reimbursement to the Division of Medicaid.
Read more!
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