APRIL 28, 2000
NO. 184
TOPICS IN THIS ISSUE INCLUDE:
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
Family Opportunity Act of 2000 - S. 2274
Opportunity to Share Your Stories
Medicaid Community Attendant Services and Supports Act - S. 1935
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
Website dedicated to Hispanics and Social Security
www.disabilityworld.org
SSA Online Newsletter
2000 Congressional Workbook
Math Programs for Physically Challenged/Visually Impaired Students
VOTE
Family Opportunity Act of 2000 - S. 2274
The bill was introduced by Senators Grassley (R-IA), Kennedy (D-MA),
Jeffords (R-VT), and Harkin (D-IA). It would provide:
Access to Health Care Coverage:
Expanding Medicaid Options for States. States will be able to offer
Medicaid coverage to children with severe disabilities living in middle
income families through a buy-in program. Cost-sharing on a sliding scale
up to the full premium cost will be required within certain guidelines that
protect lower income families.
Demonstration Program. A time-limited demonstration program will allow
states to extend Medicaid coverage to children with potentially severe
disabilities who, without access to the health care services available
through Medicaid can be reasonably expected to become severe enough to
qualify them for SSI.
Option for States to Include Children Receiving Hospital Psychiatric
Services in Home and Community-Based Waivers. States would be permitted to
include children with disabilities receiving hospital psychiatric services
in state home and community-based services waivers.
Access to Health Information and Resources:
Establishing Family to Family Health Information Centers. The bill provides
funds for establishing health information centers to assist and support
families of children with disabilities and/or special health care needs.
ACTION NEEDED
Our Senators need to know how important this act will be to families caring for a child with a disability. Contact your Senators, especially the members of the Senate Finance Committee, and encourage strong bipartisan support of S. 2274. We urge organizations to write a letter in support of S. 2274 to the leaders of the Senate Finance Committee: Senator Roth and Senator Moynihan asking for a Hearing and a Markup of S. 2274. The members of the Senate Finance Committee, along with contact information, was included in the March 31, 2000 "Friday Fax." Contact the NPND offices at 202-463-2299 if you would like a copy of this issue faxed or e-mailed to you. Access the NPND website: www.npnd.org for a summary and the full text of S. 2274. Contact Patty Smith, NPND Executive Director, at 202-463-2299; or Linda Shepard, NPND President at 770-577-7771 if you need more information, guidance, and to provide the status of your state's cosponsorship.
CONTACT INFORMATION
www.senate.gov / Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121
* Opportunity to Share Your Stories
Senators Grassley and Kennedy, co-sponsors of the Family Opportunity Act,
have said they want to hear from you on the importance and need of this
piece of legislation. NPND and friends will host a teleconference to be
held during the week of May 8, 2000 to share with Senators Grassley and
Kennedy. Interested parties will be able to call NPND ahead of time and
reserve a spot. Each person will be required to cover their individual line
charges, i.e., the cost of a long distance call Your name and state will be
made available to the Senators. NPND will share more details as they become
available, as well as how to reserve your spot.
* Medicaid Community Attendant Services and Supports Act-S. 1935 (MiCASSA)
MiCASSA is a bi-partisan bill that will eliminate institutional bias in the
Federal Medicaid program and give people with disabilities and the elderly
a real choice to live in their communities. On Wednesday, May 3rd at noon
ET, Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Arlen Specter (R-PA) will hold a press
event to kick off the introduction of MiCASSA. The event will call for
bi-partisan Medicaid reform to end the institutionally biased long term
service system and to give people with disabilities and older Americans a
REAL Choice to live and receive services and supports in their communities.
To allow participation in this national event, arrangements are being made
for a teleconference call hook up to hear the Senators' remarks as well as
other kick-off proceedings. To reserve a spot for the May 3rd conference
call contact Janine at tilrcje@aol.com
or 785-233-4572 by 5 pm ET on Friday
April 28th.
* Website dedicated to Hispanics and Social Security
The National Council of La Raza has a new section on their website
dedicated to Hispanics and Social Security:
http://www.nclr.org/policy/socialsecurity/social_security.html.
* www.disabilityworld.org
The international online magazine, disabilityworld, includes articles
written in Spanish or translated into Spanish and is the first U.S. based
disability periodical to embrace the growing Hispanic sector of the
disability community.
* SSA Online Newsletter
The Social Security Administration publishes a free online newsletter with information of interest
to people with disabilities and their families.
Subscribe at http://www.ssa.gov/enews.
* 2000 Congressional Workbook
The Congressional Workbook, from the Children's Defense Fund, has
information about contacting Congress, issue briefs on children's issues
and the legislative process. Each Congressional Workbook is $8.00.
Shipping/handling: $3.00 for first item, $1.00 for each additional item. To
order, call or email Amy Judge at (202) 662-3576 or
ajudge@childrensdefense.org.
* Math Programs for Physically Challenged/Visually Impaired Students
From arithmetic to graduate mathematics, special students can now be
inclusive. Access www.mathtalk.com to see some demos of the programs.
*
VOTE!!!
History reveals that one person can make a difference!