Family Voices Indiana

By Emily McKinley, Health Information Specialist Women across the United States are celebrating increased health care coverage made possible by the Affordable Care Act. In addition to the ACA’s all-encompassing provisions, such as guaranteeing free preventative care for insured individuals, eliminating lifetime limits and pre-existing conditions (including pregnancy), and making insurance more affordable for all Americans, women are enjoying added protections. As of August 1, 2012 (or at the plan’s renewal date), women have greater access to eight specific prevention services. These services include well-woman visits;  gestational diabetes screening; domestic and interpersonal violence screening and counseling; FDA-approved contraceptives and sterilization as well as contraceptive related counseling and education; breastfeeding support, supplies, and counseling; HPV DNA testing for women who are 30 years of age or older;  and sexually-transmitted disease counseling, inclu

Family Voices Indiana reminds its members that new changes to the DD waiver system in Indiana went into effect on Sept 1. We are posting this information as a review of the changes outlined in previous DDRS communications. Important facts about the Waivers : 1. If a person is currently on the wait list for any of DDRS’ waivers- Autism (ASD), Developmental Disabilities (DD), or Support Services (SS), he/she will be moved to the FSW wait list and targeted for the FSW by the earliest application date that he/she has submitted. They will not have to re-apply for any waiver, and their position on the list will be the same as it was on the Autism, DD, or SS wait lists. 2. If a person is currently on the Support Services (SS) waiver he/she will automatically begin receiving services through the Family Supports Waiver (FSW). These individuals will receive the same services and benefits as they were on the Supports Services waiver, as the new waiver is exactly the same, only named

Family Voices Indiana introduces our newest team member... Brenda Darrol is a Family Leadership Specialist for the Northwest Indiana area and lives in Valparaiso/Porter County. She and her husband have three adult sons and a daughter; Angela was born Down syndrome, Tetralogy of Fallot, a hearing impairment, and a few other medical issues. The immersion into health insurance, special education, and the desire to connect with someone who “walked the walk,” led her to want to provide that knowledge and empowerment for other families – wherever they are in the journey. In addition to addressing health care needs, she feels it’s important that our children have the opportunity to have the experiences that their peers have, however that may look. She sometimes says that “flexibility” is her middle name. Brenda has worked as a resource room coordinator for her local special education district. For several years she was an active board member of the Down Syndrome Association of Nor

Each month, Family Voices Indiana provides the families we serve with a summary of the month’s hottest items. If you missed us on Facebook , here is the latest! Awareness: August celebrated: World Breastfeeding Week, August 1-7. Learn more about the benefits of breastfeeding here . National Community Health Center Week, August 5-11. Learn more about community health centers and how they strive to improve access to care. Spinal Muscular Atrophy month. Learn more here .   Family Voices: We rely heavily on the voices of self-advocates and families of individuals with special health care needs to affect change. Additionally professional opinions and expert advice and analyses often further advocacy efforts. Here we recap some of the most commented on and shared blogs and articles posted to our Facebook site. It’s never too early to prepare your child for adulthood. This article highlights how taking baby steps will prepare you and