Family Voices Indiana

June 14, 2018Andy SchneiderNot that you needed another reason that capping federal Medicaid payments to states would be an unmitigated disaster for children and families.  But since the proposal is alive and well in some quarters—notably the President’ FY 2019 Budget—it’s worth marshaling as many as possible.  Here’s another one, from the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. The Committee issued a report this week on the Federal government’s financial commitment—or, more accurately, lack thereof—for children and families. This report broadly confirms the analyses done by our colleagues at First Focus and the Urban Institute :  the share of the federal budget, both spending and tax provisions, going to children and parents is less than 10 percent and is declining. The Committee estimates that federal spending on children will decline from 9.4 percent of the budget in 2106 to 7.0 percent in 2028.  Not good.
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June 13, 2018Andy SchneiderWe know that CMS Administrator Seema Verma doesn’t think Medicaid should cover “able-bodied” adults. But she does believe that coverage of the “society’s most vulnerable citizens” is the right thing for Medicaid to do.  In her major policy address to state Medicaid directors last November, she opened with the stories of Richard, a para-pelagic, and Kristy, who has autism and epilepsy.  For them, she said, “Medicaid is more than a safety net, it’s a lifeline, one that needs to be preserved and protected for those who truly need it.”  Last week, the Dallas Morning News published “Pain & Profit,” a 5-part investigative report detailing what happens to “society’s most vulnerable citizens” in Medicaid managed care in Texas, and why.  
The Morning News reporters examined two particular cases: that of D’ashon Morris, a foster child born prematurely and dependent on a tracheostomy tube, and that of Heather Powell, almost completely paralyzed from the neck down by …

Prior Authorization (HEA 1143)

Bills were filed in both the House (HEA 1143) and the Senate (SB 210) this year with language modeled on Ohio legislation to streamline the prior authorization process and create more transparency. Bill authors Representative Donna Schaibley (R-Carmel) and Senator Liz Brown (R-Fort Wayne) were strong advocates for the provider community in helping to reach an agreement with insurers.

Effective Date Sept. 1, 2018: Transparency and Notice Provisions
Definition of Prior Authorization: Practice implemented by a health plan through which coverage of a health care service is dependent on the covered individual or health care provider obtaining approval from the health plan before the health care service is rendered. The term includes prospective or utilization review procedures conducted before a health care service is rendered.Notice to health care providers of changes in prior authorization procedures is changed from 30 days to 45 days in advance.Health plans m…

Trauma-informed behavior planning for people with IDD



Content Overview: This webinar will be focused on how to take trauma-informed care principles and apply them to behavior planning. We will discuss basic trauma-informed care principles as well as positive behavior support principles and provide examples of how to adapt behavior plans taking into account a person's trauma history. This webinar will focus on practical application of the material.

Speakers: 
Haleigh Scott, PhD, University of Illinois at Chicago
Susan Kahan, MA, University of Illinois at Chicago
This webinar is being jointly sponsored by AAIDD and NADD.

by Marilyn Odendahl In a first-of-its-kind case in Indiana, a 27-year-old woman who believes she is no longer incapacitated as defined by state law will petition the Wayne Circuit Court Wednesday to terminate her guardianship and replace it with a Supported Decision Making Agreement. Jamie Beck, who has been diagnosed with a mild intellectual disability and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, was adjudged by the Wayne Circuit Court to be incapacitated in 2010 following the death of her parents and stepfather. Dan Stewart, president of Achieva Resources Corp., Inc., was appointed as her permanent legal guardian. Since then, Beck has moved from a nursing home to a supported-living home and has secured full-time employment at Ball Memorial Hospital in Muncie. She asserts she is able to manage her affairs with help from Medicaid waiver services. With a formalized Supported Decision Making Agreement, Beck told the court she will have additional assistance from a team to help her in …

On June 7, the House voted to pass the "rescissions" measure proposed by the president in May. (See the May 9 Update and the May 31 Update.) The 210-206 vote was largely along party lines, with all Democrats in opposition. The bill would cut $7 billion from the budget of the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), but about $5 billion of that was not available to spend anyway. The other $1.9 billion would be taken from the Child Enrollment Contingency Fund, which provides extra CHIP funding to states that experience an unexpected surge in CHIP enrollment. About $500 billion would remain in the fund. As reflected in this blog post from the Georgetown Center for Children and Families (CCF), child health advocates are concerned about reducing a fund intended, by definition, for use in unexpected circumstances. It is unclear what will happen with this legislation in the Senate. See Spending Cuts Package Faces Uncertain Senate Fate (Roll Call, 6/8/18).

INSILC Seeking New Council Members with Disabilities to BE THE VOICE of Independent Living in Indiana
INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Statewide Independent Living Council (INSILC) is seeking leaders with disabilities to #BeTheVoice of Independent Living in Indiana and invites individuals of all disabilities across the state to apply to serve as valued members of its governor-appointed, statewide Council. INSILC is driven by the Independent Living Philosophy which emphasizes people with disabilities have crucial and valuable perspective to contribute to society and should have the same opportunities as individuals without disabilities. We believe disability rights are human rights and we have the right to choose how we want to live, work and play in our communities.
Council Members are appointed by the Governor for three-year terms and candidates selected for appointment to INSILC must have significant knowledge and understanding of independent living/the independent philosophy and a strong …

QUESTIONS TO ALWAYS THINK ABOUT Along Your Journey

The following are questions to consider no matter the particular life category or age. These are questions you might ask or keep in mind whether you are just starting your journey, or are somewhere along the way. These questions are not intended to be all inclusive or complete, but will help you get started with some general questions to keep in mind as you progress along the life course.

• What are other people my age doing (for work, fun, etc.) and what adaptations or accommodations are needed so I have similar life experiences?

• Am I learning how to create or maintain community connections and social capital?

• How could assistive technology, adaptations or accommodations assist me in living the life I want?

• Am I learning how to access and integrate a variety of types of support (relationships, community assets, technology) in addition to any paid supports I receive?

• Do you have someone to talk to about your feelings, emotions…

from CBPP:
Good news! On Friday, Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Roberts and Ranking Member Stabenow released a bipartisan farm bill that protects SNAP. As CBPP President Bob Greenstein said in his statement, this is an important, positive step forward in our efforts to protect food assistance for millions of Americans. And it wouldn’t have happened without your work to spread the message that SNAP works in your communities and to educate policymakers in both chambers about how the House farm bill would take away food assistance from low-income households, including working families.

But we are not in the clear. This proposal still has to make it through the Senate Agriculture Committee and the full Senate without any harmful amendments to SNAP, and we still have to defeat the partisan House farm bill that would take away food assistance from 2 million Americans.

All of this is expected to move quickly: The Senate Agriculture Committee is scheduled to markup its version of the fa…