Please Send a Thank You Letter to Your Senators for National Direct Support Professionals Week!

In a show of bipartisan support, the U.S. Senate unanimously approved Senate Resolution 228 designating the week beginning September 14 as "National Direct Support Professionals Recognition Week." Sponsored by Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE), the resolution recognizes the invaluable supports Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) provide and the difference this workforce makes in the lives of Americans with disabilities.

Please use ANCOR’s Action Center to send a note thanking your Senators for National DSP Week. If one of your Senators was one of the original co-sponsors be sure to give them special recognition. Sponsoring any National DSP Week activity is a great opportunity to thank your Senators by mentioning them during your activities. If you sponsor any National DSP Week activities or media outreach, please let ANCOR know by contacting Mary Pauline Jones. Read more!

HHS Delegates Authority for the HIPAA Security Rule to Office for Civil Rights

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced that the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) will take over from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) authority for the administration and enforcement of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). The switch is to eliminate duplication and increase efficiency in how health information privacy is protected. Read more!

Grants.Gov Web Site Offers New Feature for Information on Applying for All ARRA Federal Grants – Webinars Available to Learn New Feature

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius released a new feature on Grants.gov to help users find and apply for The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) grant opportunities. The Recovery Act feature will be on the homepage of Grants.gov and will direct users to Recovery Act opportunities, other Recovery Act resources, upcoming Webinars and links to www.whitehouse.gov/recovery.

HHS will host a webinar series on August 12, 13, 18, and 20. The Webinar sessions will target potential grant applicants and will include Introduction to Grants.gov and the Recovery Act, Finding Recovery Act Opportunities and Registration to Submit Recovery Act Opportunities. Each webinar session will be recorded and made available on Grants.gov after the series is completed. For more information on the webinars go to, http://www.grants.gov/applicants/recovery_webinar.jsp.
Read more!

Energy and Commerce Finishes Health Reform Legislation Markup; Senate Finance Pushes Theirs to September

On Friday, July 31, the House Energy and Commerce voted 31-28--along party lines--to approve the America's Affordable Health Choices Act (H.R. 3200). The House Education and Labor and Ways and Means Committees and the Senate HELP Committee have already passed their versions of health reform legislation. The Senate Finance Committee, the only committee of jurisdiction that has not marked up a health reform bill, will not mark up before the Senate recesses on August 7, pushing back the timeline even further for a Senate floor vote. Before the full chamber can vote on a bill, the Senate HELP and Finance Committees must merge their bills. The Senate HELP Committee was the first congressional committee to complete its mark up of healthcare reform legislation, on July 15th.

Read more!

WICS Live: Around the States

Minnesota: New Law Requires Providers, Payers to Use Electronic Billing Takes Effect. The law, which was enacted in 2007, is anticipated to save millions in administrative costs. The Department of Health estimated that e-billing will save both providers and payers about $60 million annually, while streamlining billing processes, and increasing accuracy and, as a result, efficiency. The law also mandates that providers and payers electronically exchanging payment remittances, effective December 15th. Costs savings is also expected from this switch. Read more!

WICS Live: Around the States

Connecticut: State Lawmakers Override Governor’s Veto, Approve Framework for Universal Health Care Program in State. The legislation, approved by lawmakers July 20th following Governor Jodi Rell’s (R) veto July 8th, establishes a 9-member board of directors that must submit recommendations on the implementation of SustiNet Plan by January 1, 2011. SustiNet will be a self-insured health care plan that will be offered to state employees and retirees, current HUSKY enrollees (which is the state’s CHIP), Medicaid beneficiaries, and persons without or unable to afford employer-sponsored health insurance. The legislation also calls for the panel to make recommendations on numerous other aspects of the plan, including development of a model benefits package, public outreach and methods of identifying uninsured citizens, and the creation of task forces to study specific issues including obesity, tobacco use and the health care workforce. The legislation does not specify from where funds for the program will come. While Rell lauded the goal of SustiNet, she vetoed the legislation because, she believed, the state could not afford to proceed with the plan given its financial implications. The program is estimated to cost $1 billion annually. Read more!

WICS Live: Around the States

State Tax Revenues at Record Low, Report Finds. A recent report bythe Rockefeller Institute of Government found that the lackluster economy decimated state tax collections during the first quarter of the year. The drop in state revenues was the steepest in the 46 years that data is available. State coffers fared no better in the second quarter, and suggests that many states will have to resort to move spending cuts or tax increases to balance their budgets. Over all, the report found that state tax collections dropped 11.7 percent in the first quarter of 2009, compared with the same period last year. After adjusting for inflation and new changes, the report found that tax revenues had declined in 47 of the 50 states in the quarter. As bad as the first quarter was, the second quarter is shaping up to be even worse, the report said. Preliminary data for the first two months of the quarter, April and May, collected from 45 states, indicated that tax revenues declined by 20% compared with the same period last year. Read more!

WICS Live: Around the States

Pennsylvania: Still No Budget Deal. With the state’s budget is a month overdue, little progress seems to be made in reaching a budget compromise. While lawmakers continue to try and hammer out a compromise with Governor Ed Rendell, state workers July 31st had their first “Payless Friday”, as state workers are remaining on the job during the budget impasse. Read more!

WICS Live: Around the States

California: Budget Signed but Medi-Cal Takes Big Hit. A revised budge signed July 28th by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger contained an additional $2 billion in cuts to health case, including $1.4 billion in new Medi-Cal spending reductions. The bulk of reduced state Medi-Cal expenditures—$1 billion—is expected to be restored by increased federal Medicaid funding under waivers and payment of past due amounts. As reported elsewhere in this issue, the budget package also authorizes the Department of Health Care Services to seek federal waivers allowing California to restructure Medi-Cal to better coordinate care among providers and provide incentives for improved treatment outcomes for high-cost enrollees—including seniors, individuals with disabilities, children with significant medical needs, and individuals with behavioral health issues. The remaining reductions come from adjustments implementation of new federal and state drug pricing policies; a line item veto reducing county funding to administer Medi-Cal; expanded efforts to combat fraud, waste, and abuse; freezing program rates as of August 1, 2009, among other items. The budget also seeks $1 billion in savings by 2012-13 by requiring online enrollment and eligibility for the Medi-Cal, CalWORKs—the state’s welfare-to-work program, and Food Stamp programs. The budget package also cuts $178.6 million from the state's Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) program, Healthy Families. Read more!

WICS Live: Around the States

New Hampshire: Medicaid Funding Running Out, According to State Officials.Just two weeks into the state’s new fiscal year, rising unemployment and increased Medicaid enrollment is pushing the state’s Medicaid budget into the red. The new budget projected a 1% increase in Medicaid enrollment in the current fiscal year, which began July 1st. As of July 14th, the state’s Medicaid director predicted that the Medicaid program was only 39 new enrollees away from running a deficit. Already, providers have laid off staff and limited Medicaid services. Read more!

WICS Live: Around the States

State Briefs. Colorado: $5.3 Million Recovered By AG’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit: The amount is the highest the state has recovered since the unit began keeping records in 1983 and possibly since the unit’s formation in 1978. The money comes from civil fraud cases and criminal restitution, with the bulk of the amount stemming from interstate settlements between large companies and the federal government, in conjunction with the states.

North Carolina: State Will Repay $300 Million In Incorrectly Charged Federal Funds: A database error in November 2008 to reflect FMAP changes incorrectly charged public hospital payments to the federal government instead of a state account. The state has made CMS aware of the error and reached a repayment plan for the federal government to recoup the funds. Read more!

WICS Live: Around the States

Governors Question Medicaid Expansion While Some States Do More With CHIP. At last month’s National Governors Association meeting in Biloxi, Mississippi, the nation’s governors voiced their concern with emerging health reform proposals in Congress. Governors on both sides of the aisle fear states will have additional Medicaid obligations under the reform proposals without any additional money to pay for them. While many governors support health care reform, the precarious financial situation in their states make it a terrible time to shift additional costs to the states, the governors told HHS Secretary—and former Kansas governor—Kathleen Sebelius. At the same time, at least 13 states have expanded their state CHIP programs over the last year, investing millions of dollars to cover an additional 250,000 uninsured children. The new CHIP reauthorization law providing over $30 billion in new financing over the next five years, paid largely with an increase in federal tobacco taxes, that allows states to expand coverage to children at higher incomes. States that have expanded eligibility include Alabama, Colorado, Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon and West Virginia. Read more!

WICS Live: Around the States

Washington: Department of Social and Health Services Barred from Eliminating Services to Certain Adults with Disabilities. The U.S. District Court for the Western District issued the temporary restraining order July 13th, directing the agency to ensure that medically necessary services are available to 900 Medicaid beneficiaries affected by the state’s budget cuts. On July 1st, the Department reduced Medicaid-funded long-term services and supports to people with disabilities residing in family homes and boarding homes, which was mandated by the state’s 2009-2011 operating budget. On June 1st, beneficiaries were notified via letter that services were being terminated, but did not including information about replacement services or how to appeal termination of the services. The plaintiffs charged that the Department failed to provide adequate notice, which denied them their right to due process and amounted to discriminated under the Americans with Disabilities Act, forcing plaintiffs to go without community-based services to maintain their independence in the community and enter institutions. While failing to certify the plaintiffs as a class, the court urged the Department to complete case management activities for those individuals to ensure that medically necessary services are provided.


In other news, the court was scheduled July 31st to hold a hearing on a motion for a preliminary injunction issued July 2 preventing the Department from reducing Medicaid in-home health care services for 3,500 children with disabilities. In the July 2nd order, the court blocked the state agency from carrying out the reductions, scheduled to take effect July 1st, until August 1st. The temporary restraining order applies to reductions in the Medicaid-funded personal care services for children age 20 and younger. The state's 2009-2011 operating budget also directs the department to reduce in-home personal care hours for children.

Read more!

WICS Live: Around the States

Tennessee: CMS Approves TennCare Proposal to Allow MCOs to Coordinate Beneficiaries’ Long Term Services and Supports. Currently, TennCare enrollees may have to with different entities for physical, behavioral, and long-term care. Now, the enrollee will be able to work with their managed care organizations (MCOs) to coordinate all needed services. The approval of the waiver brings the state closer to implementing legislation enacted in 2008 aimed at expanding home care and community-based services for individuals with disabilities and the elderly under TennCare, the state’s Medicaid program. Integrating long-term services into the managed care delivery system will take between six months and nine months to implement, according to state officials, since contracts with insurers need to be renegotiated and appropriate rates must be set. Read more!

WICS Live: Around the States

Colorado: Last Fiscal Year Saw Record Medicaid Enrollment. As of June 30th, nearly 500, 000 Coloradans were enrolled in the program, the highest amount in the program’s 40 year history. The number is 14% higher than the same month last year and 11% higher the total enrollment over the previous fiscal year. This figure means approximately 10% of state residents are currently enrolled in Medicaid. There was also record enrollment in the state’s CHIP. The increase in Medicaid enrollment comes at the same time the state must fill budget gaps. Despite Federal stimulus funding, the state has had to cut reimbursement rates to providers and with another $1 billion budget gap looming over the next two years, more program cuts are to be expected. Read more!

WICS Live: Around the States

California: State Officials Seeking Broader Waiver Authority to Boost Federal Funding.The current Section 1115 Demonstration Waiver, which was approved in 2005, prohibits intergovernmental transfers and provider taxes as means of drawing down additional Federal funds and includes a “coverage initiative” that provides funding for county initiatives to offer care to about 100,000 previously uninsured individuals (see related Budget Round Up article). The $18 billion waiver expires in August 2010, and the Schwarzenegger administration is already putting together a concept paper for Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) officials. The state is apparently looking at changes to financing safety-net hospitals, whose finding is capped under the current waiver but provide significant care to the state’s uninsured population. The state is likely to propose to address the needs of high-cost populations, such as individuals with disabilities and children with special needs, according to state officials. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) also wants flexibility in the next waiver to address eligibility standards and funding. There is some uncertainty, however, how any new state waiver will mesh with the current federal health reform debate—or if it will need to. Read more!

Housing Briefs

Section 811 reform legislation and FY 2010 T-HUD appropriations continue to move through the House and Senate. HUD released a letter on Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher shortages to Public Housing Authorities and the Technical Assistance Collaborative released a new Opening Doors on using the Neighborhood Stabilization fund from the Recovery Act to help create permanent, supportive housing.

House Passes Section 811 Reform Bill

The House of Representatives passed last week the Frank Melville Supportive Housing Investment Act of 2009 (H.R. 1675) which will significantly reform the Section 811 program. This ANCOR-supported bill would implement a new demonstration program that would triple the number of units to be built through use of other federal or state funds. The legislation was initially introduced by Reps. Christopher Murphy (D-CT) and Rep. Judy Biggert (R-IL). In addition, Senators Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Mike Johanns (R-NE) introduced an identical companion version of the Frank Melville Supportive Housing Investment Act of 2009 (S. 1481).

FY 2010 HUD Appropriations

The Senate Appropriations Committee Thursday voted 30-0, after no debate, to approve a $122 billion spending bill for transportation and housing programs for fiscal 2010. The Senate and House (passed July 20) versions also differ slightly.

The Senate bill would provide $265 million for the Section 811 program, compared to $350 in the House version. The Section 202 program fares better in the House at $1 billion than the Senate's $785 million. The Senate bill would provide $18.1billion for Section 8 tenant-based vouchers, compared with $18.2 billion in the House bill, and $8.1 billion for the Section 8 project-based rental assistance account, compared with $8.7 billion in the House bill.

The Senate bill includes $4 billion for formula grants through the Community Development Block Grants program, compared with $4.2 billion in the House bill.

HUD Releases Letter on Section 8 Voucher Shortfall

The letter, sent July 30th to Public Housing Authorities (PHA), updates them on steps HUD is taking to minimize the effects of the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher shortfalls some PHAs are experiencing and how to prevent termination of vouchers.

New Opening Doors from the Technical Assistance Collaborative

This issue of Opening Doors provides an overview of HUD’s new Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP), documents the purpose and history of the program, discusses how the funds are distributed, describes the ways that NSP can be used to create permanent supportive housing, and suggests strategies that can be used by the disability community to work with NSP grantees.








Read more!

August Recess Begins Next Week--Request Meetings or Site Visits with Your Members of Congress

The House begins their district work period on Monday and Senate begins theirs on August 10th--both chambers resume business on September 7th. District work periods or congressional recesses are a great time to meet in person with your members of Congress. In fact, meeting with them in their local, district offices or having them visit your organization is the most effective way to educate your Members and their staff on issues important to you. This allows Members and staff to hear and see how you carry out your important mission of providing supports to people with disabilities, to visit with direct support workers, to hear about the challenges you face, and to even gain some local media attention and goodwill. Eventually your persistence will pay off and you will be given the opportunity to help Members and their staff understand how federal policies impact your work. Please let ANCOR know when you have scheduled your visits by filling out a short webform. Read more!

Resolution Highlights Service of Direct Support Professionals

In a show of bipartisan support, the U.S. Senate unanimously approved Senate Resolution 228 designating the week beginning September 14 as "National Direct Support Professionals Recognition Week." Sponsored by Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE), the resolution recognizes the invaluable supports Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) provide and the difference this workforce makes in the lives of Americans with disabilities.

As part of the National Advocacy Campaign, ANCOR worked with Senator Nelson and key ANCOR members on this resolution to coincide with the annual Governmental Activities Seminar taking place September 13-15 in Washington, D.C.

The resolution received considerable attention in the Senate and gained nine co-sponsors including, Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS), Senator Jim Bunning (R-KY), Senator Thomas Carper (D-DE), Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT) Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA), Senator John Kerry (D-MA), Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY), and Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME). Thank you to all of the state teams so instrumental in gathering these original co-sponsors!

Along with the passage of this Resolution by the U.S. Senate, ANCOR has worked with key members in the states to successfully have gubernatorial DSP Recognition Week proclamations issued in Colorado, Maine, Nebraska, New York and Virginia. We hope to add more states in the coming weeks!

Click here for more information about DSP Recognition Week and ways you can celebrate and advocate for DSPs.
Read more!

H1N1 Virus Webcast and Update

Join HHS Secretary Sebelius, DHS Secretary Napolitano and Education Secretary Duncan for an important webcast on emergency preparedness related to the flu epidemic.

Participants will be able to learn about: the latest information on vaccine development; vaccine planning and preparedness efforts; federal funding support for sate efforts and ; progress on planning and preparedness for schools, child care centers, businesses and communities.

Registration is not required. To view the Webcast, visit www.flu.gov at 3:00 pm EDT on Tuesday, August 4. Please note, you will need Flash (http://www.adobe.com) installed on your computer in order to view the live video stream.

Other Questions? Please email HHSIGA@hhs.gov

Flu Panel Creates Priority List for Vaccine
A 15-member panel of experts met Wednesday at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta to create a list of who should get the pandemic flue vaccine first. When the vaccine is available in September, the first to receive it will be pregnant women, the caretakers of infants, children and young adults ages 6 months to 24, people with chronic illness ages 25 to 64, and health-care workers.

Unlike most flu strains, people over the age of 65 are rarely contracting this strain. Speculation is that it is due from exposure to similar flu strains that circulated years ago. Children under 6 month are not able to receive the vaccine due to their immune system not being developed.

The vaccine will come in two forms: the traditional flu shot and a “live” vaccine squirted into the nose. The question of whether one or two shots is needed has still not been answered and the vaccination program is expected to start before an answer is found.

For More information please visit www.flu.gov.
Read more!