Family Voices Indiana

The American Association on Health and Disability (AAHD) is pleased to announce the publication of a new fact sheet for the National Disability Navigator Resource Collaborative (NDNRC). “What to Know When Assisting a Consumer with Mental Illness” is intended to help Navigators identify issues that are unique to consumers with mental health conditions to assist them in making decisions related to their healthcare coverage. This fact sheet can be found  here . Special thanks to NAMI (the National Alliance on Mental Illness) for their authorship of this fact sheet. This fact sheet is the latest in a series of new fact sheets that the NDNRC is releasing which provide navigators and other enrollment specialists with information they need to help these specific populations within the disability community.

Answers to Some of the Most Commonly Asked Questions Q :    I don’t have health insurance, and I missed the deadline to have coverage starting  January 1 .  Can I still enroll?  Will I be penalized for missing part of the year? A :     Yes, you can still enroll.  Open Enrollment in the Health Insurance Marketplace runs until  February 15, 2015 , so there’s still time to get covered.  If you do that, and if you keep your policy in force for the rest of 2015, you won’t have to pay a Shared Responsibility Fee, even though you had a month or two without coverage.  You can do this by going to  www.healthcare.gov , or calling the Marketplace at  1-800-318-2596 , any time.  Phone lines are open 24 hours every day. You can also find local help by going to  localhelp.healthcare.gov  and entering your  City and State or Zip Code.  Local assistors, trained on the Health Insurance Marketplace, who are unbiased, are available to help you shop, compare and enroll. Q :     I already have hea

Family Voices Indiana shares the following announcement from NDI: (Washington, D.C. -  Dec. 17, 2014 )  - Last night, the U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passed the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act of 2014 by a vote of 76 to 16. First introduced in 2006, and subsequent sessions of Congress, the ABLE Act will allow people with disabilities (with an age of onset up to 26 years old) and their families the opportunity to create a tax-exempt savings account that can be used for maintaining health, independence and quality of life. "Today marks a new day in our country's understanding and support of people with disabilities and their families," Michael Morris,  National Disability Institute  (NDI) Executive Director, said. "A major victory for the disability community, ABLE, for the very first time in our country's policy on disability, recognizes that there are added costs to living with a disability." He continued. "For far too long, federa

In collaboration with The Catalyst Center, the National Center for Medical Home Implementation (NCMHI) has created four fact sheets which describe provisions of the Affordable Care Act which benefit children and youth with special health care needs. Written in plain language, each fact sheet is easy to read and understand. Families will find information related to: Concurrent Care for Children:  Under the ACA, children with life-threatening health problems who are enrolled in Medicaid can get both curative treatment and hospice care. This is called concurrent care.   Habilitative Services:  Under the ACA, many health care services that can help your child with the skills he or she needs for everyday life (called habilitative services) must be covered by insurance.   Health Home Programs and Coordinated Care:  Under the ACA, your child may be able to get extra care coordination and support services from your doctor through a Health Home program in your state.   Health Insurance Ma

  Deadline:  December 15 Attention: Time is almost up!  The deadline for coverage starting on  January 1  is  tomorrow , and your application is waiting.  Applying only takes a few minutes. A little time now can save you money and give you peace of mind about your health.  Don’t miss out.  Millions of people have found quality coverage through  HealthCare.gov , and nearly 80% of those who signed up last year received financial assistance.  You have 1 day left. Go to HealthCare.gov and apply today.