Family Voices Indiana

  From Justice In Aging As the country awaits the FDA’s approval of the first COVID-19 vaccine, states are releasing their vaccine allocation plans. The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has recommended that residents of congregate settings be included in the first phase of distribution, along with medical workers.   This week, Justice in Aging led an advocates'  letter to the California Community Vaccine Advisory Committee Chairs  asking them to prioritize older adults and people with disabilities in the state’s COVID-19 vaccine allocation and distribution plan. The letter asks the Board to define “congregate settings” broadly to include residents and staff of nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, affordable senior housing residences, group homes, mental health residential facilities, and jails and prisons, and to elevate the priority of facilities with Black and Latinx residents. Other priorities include defining high-risk older adults and people with d

On Nov. 10, the Supreme Court decided that it will hear a case about the administration’s approval of waivers to establish work requirements for certain populations as a condition of Medicaid eligibility. The Court will decide whether to affirm or overturn a unanimous US Court of Appeals decision invalidating Arkansas and New Hampshire waivers. That court ruled that the department’s approval of these waivers was “arbitrary and capricious” (thus violating the Administrative Procedure Act) because the department failed to consider whether the work requirements were consistent with Medicaid’s purpose of providing health insurance coverage.  Thus, the case is about this particular waiver-approval process, rather than whether work requirements are themselves permitted under Medicaid law.  See   D.C.  Circuit on Medicaid Work Requirements: Read the Statute   (Blog of the Georgetown Center for Children and Families, 2/19/20). The Supreme Court will likely hear oral arguments in the winter or

From Justice In Aging Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) and Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (D-MI) have introduced the COVID HCBS Relief Act ( S. 4957 / H.R. 8871 ) to provide a 10% increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) to states for Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS). This bill mirrors provisions in the Heroes and Heroes 2.0 relief packages passed by the House earlier this year. States can use the additional funds to support direct care workers with hazard pay, paid leave, and personal protective equipment, to recruit and train additional direct care workers, support family caregivers, and provide services to individuals on waiting lists. Read more about the bill in this summary.    

  Bt 2020124 by Family Voices Indiana on Scribd

The Bureau of Developmental Disabilities Services is excited to share webinar opportunities for individuals and families to learn more about using remote support services. One of six Indiana remote supports providers, SafeinHome, is offering a series of webinars in January and February for individuals and families that are interested in learning more about how remote supports can assist them in their vision of a good life. There will be three different topics, each being offered multiple times throughout this series. Please see below for specific information on dates and times for each topic. BQIS will continue to share information from our other approved providers as they offer similar opportunities. This announcement is not meant to be an endorsement or recommendation of SafeinHome over other remote supports providers and is only intended to share an opportunity for individuals and families to learn more. Title:   Can I have privacy and be safe? Description:  Explore how supported pr

NCEO  and  TIES Center  are jointly developing a series of videos for parents on various aspects of supporting the learning of children with significant cognitive disabilities at home and the first four videos are now published. Helping Your Child with Routines at Home Helping Your Child with the Foundations of Communication at Home Helping Your Child with Communication at Home Helping Your Child with Academics

From Disability Scoop, original can be found here A new effort is underway to better prepare future doctors and other health care professionals to treat people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Community Living has allocated $1.75 million over the next five years toward the initiative, which will bring together five universities to study existing trainings and develop materials and standardized practice experiences that can be incorporated into the curriculum for students in medical education. “Unfortunately many medical schools do not include content about the needs of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities into their curriculum for health care students. This all too often leads to poorer health outcomes,” said Julie Hocker, commissioner of the Administration on Disabilities at the Administration for Community Living. “This grant will work to close this critical gap.” The curricu

  From Covering Kids & Families of Indiana Newsletter A recent Family and Social Services Administration update clarified coverage when a HIP member transfers from another Indiana Health Coverage Program (IHCP). “IHCP members transitioning into HIP from another IHCP program (for example, from Presumptive Eligibility or Package C – Children’s Health Insurance Plan) remain covered under their previous plan, with no gap in coverage, during the HIP conditional eligibility period.”  HIP accepted members in the initial 60-day payment period and who have not yet made Fast Track payment or first POWER Account contribution are referred to as conditionally eligible. HIP Provider Reference Module

The 21st Century Cures Act directs Medicaid programs to require personal care service and home health service providers to use an electronic visit verification (EVV) system to document services rendered. See Indiana Health Coverage Programs (IHCP) Bulletin BT201855 for more information. The implementation date for requiring the use of an EVV system for personal care services has been delayed to January 1, 2021. The implementation date for requiring the use of an EVV system for home health services remains January 1, 2023.  More information about the implementation and FAQs can be found in BT2020123 .  Below are the Service Codes that require EVV. Service Codes That Require Electronic Visit Verification by Family Voices Indiana on Scribd

From Manatt, original can be found here   Prepared for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s State Health and Value Strategies program Date: 11.25.20 Download Insight Chiquita Brooks-LaSure Manatt Health Patricia M. Boozang Manatt Health Kaylee O’Connor Manatt Health Alisha Reginal Manatt Health The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted long-standing health inequities that have resulted in an increased risk of sickness and death for people of color. The crisis has also propelled a nationwide focus on understanding and addressing health inequities. As compared to white, non-Hispanic individuals, American Indians or Alaska Natives are over five times as likely to be hospitalized, and black or African-American individuals are over twice as likely to die from  COVID-19 . While COVID-19 and the reckoning on racial justice have mobilized some state officials working in Medicaid, public health, insurance departments and Marketplaces alike, states are at different places on their journeys to confro

  Research Agenda Study Flier by Family Voices Indiana on Scribd