Family Voices Indiana

Final rule ensures Medicaid providers receive complete payments as required by law The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today released the Medicaid Provider Reassignment Regulation final rule removing a state’s ability to divert portions of Medicaid provider payments to third parties outside of the scope of what the statute allows. CMS received more than 7,000 comments from the public, healthcare providers, unions, state agencies, and advocacy groups during the comment period for the proposed rule.  CMS took the comments into consideration when finalizing its proposal.  “State Medicaid programs are responsible for ensuring that taxpayer dollars are dedicated to providing healthcare services for low-income, vulnerable Americans and are not diverted in ways that do not comply with federal law,” said CMS Administrator Seema Verma. “This final rule is intended to ensure that providers receive their complete payment, and that any circumstance where a state redirec

Posted on  April 25, 2019   by  Darlynda Bogle, Acting Assistant Deputy Commissioner Our programs and services have evolved to accommodate the unique needs of families, especially the children in your care. Our website for  Parents and Guardians  includes information about the benefits available for children. Here are five things you can learn more about on our Parents and Guardians page: Social Security’s promise  — We know how much your loved ones mean to you. Our promise of a lifetime of protections extends to them. When you work and pay Social Security taxes, your children may also qualify to receive benefits on your record. It starts with your child’s Social Security Number  —Our journey together begins at birth. A child needs a  Social Security number  if the child’s going to have a bank account or if you want to claim them on your tax returns. You can apply for your baby’s number and card right in the hospital when you complete the information for their birth certificat

From DREF ( Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund) : This is Part 1 of a 2 part series on dispute resolution. This month we focus on resolving conflicts at the local level—before issues escalate to state complaints or due process hearings. The purpose of the IEP team meeting is to create an IEP that will provide meaningful educational benefit in the least restrictive environment, based on evaluation data, input from all team members, including the parent and the student where appropriate, and after identifying what kind of specialized instruction, support, accommodations, modifications and services will ensure that these goals can be met. No matter what the reason, it can be very stressful as a parent to find yourself in disagreement with the school team. Parents are often unsure what appropriate next steps are in this situation. An IEP can open the door of educational opportunity so that our children can learn and prepare for the life ahead of them. But sometimes the

from Covering Kids and Families Indiana: As expected, the legislative session in Indiana ended with a flurry of activity surrounding key issues that had been discussed since the Indiana General Assembly convened in January. Many bills still await the final step of Governor Holcomb's signature before becoming law, but several key items impacting families and children have already passed this stage: SB 2: School Bus Safety This bill provides for greater penalties for school bus arm infractions, creates rules for safe school bus stop locations and creates funding mechanisms for school bus arm cameras among many other school bus safety enhancements. SB 416: Medicaid Coverage for Doula Services This bill provides that Medicaid pregnancy services may include reimbursement for doula services and allows the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) to seek appropriate state plan amendments and create rules to help implement this change. SB 480: Medica

from DREDF: Another child with a disability, Max Benson, has died after being subjected to restraint at a non-public school where his school district placed him. While we do not have all the details, we know that 13 year old Max was held in a dangerous prone restraint with his face down on the floor for nearly an hour. He was ignored for a significant period of time during which staff failed to recognize he was in acute physical distress, in violation of California state law. DREDF is saddened and deeply disturbed as the details of this tragic, unnecessary death emerge, and outraged that these practices continue to be used routinely without adequate oversight by either the public schools that are placing a child in these programs or by the states that are supposed to be monitoring them. Seclusion is the practice of isolating a student from others, and restraint is physically holding in response to serious problem behavior that places the student or others at risk of significant in

Contributed by Christy Gauss, MSW, Natalie Bengert, BS, and Josie Kincaid, BS Below is a partial list of mental health assessment tools that can be used in educational settings and beyond. The complete list can be found at:  https://lookupindiana.org/ schools/about-school-mental- health/resources/mental- health-assessment-tools/  . This list does not represent an endorsement of any one tool and is not inclusive of all possible tools. This list is simply to assist others in accessing a range of options related to school climate, trauma, anxiety and other relevant topics. Substance Use CAGE Screen https://theshapesystem.com/ resource-assessments/4118/ CAGE_9.7.17+SHE.pdf?1504787168 CRAFFT 2.0 https://theshapesystem.com/ resource-assessments/4118/ CRAFFT_8.31.17_SHE.pdf? 1504194080 ED School Climate Survey (EDSCLS) https://theshapesystem.com/ resource-assessments/4118/ EDSCLS_SHE+9.29.17.pdf? 1506689227 Depression/Mood Children’s Depression Inventory 2 (

Don’t miss the upcoming quarterly Building Bridges events! These meetings are an opportunity for families and self-advocates to meet and speak with the Bureau of Developmental Disabilities Services state staff. These sessions are an important part of the bureau’s efforts to create direct avenues for individuals and families to share their feedback. These meetings are solely for families and individuals with disabilities to provide a forum for constructive and valuable conversations on successes or concerns, as well as suggestions or input regarding BDDS programs and services. All meetings are held from 6–8 p.m. local time. July 10, 2019 Klondike Library 3062 Lindberg Road West Lafayette, Ind. July 23, 2019 St. Joseph Public Library 304 S. Main St. South Bend, Ind. July 30, 2019 Noble County Public Library 813 E. Main St. Albion, Ind.

If you or your child is on the Family Supports Waiver waitlist, you can review and update your contact information by accessing the BDDS Waitlist Web Porta l.  To access the information, you will need to provide the last four digits of the individual’s social security number, first and last name, date of birth, and requestor’s name (if different from the individual on the waitlist). Once the information is verified, a second page will appear that will include the individual’s address, phone number, guardian contact information (if applicable), waiver application date and BDDS local office contact information. If any of the information is incorrect or missing, you can submit changes through the portal or contact your local BDDS office.  It is important that you notify the BDDS office with any changes to ensure you can be reached the individual’s name reaches the top of the wait list. For more information and to access the portal, visit the Divisionof Disability and Rehabilitative Se

U.S. Access Board to Hold Town Hall Meeting and Training Event in Indianapolis on May 21 The U.S. Access Board will hold a town hall meeting in Indianapolis on the afternoon of  May 21  at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The event will provide an open forum where members of the public can pose questions to the Board or share comments or concerns about accessibility for people with disabilities. There also will be panel discussions with area speakers on accessible recreation and outdoor environments, the Indiana AgrAbility Project, and local compliance initiatives under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The event will take place in the Pacers Square Room at  Bankers Life Fieldhouse  from 2:00 pm to 4:30 pm . Registration is not required. An assistive listening system, computer assisted real-time transcription, and sign language interpreters will be available. Attendees are requested to refrain from using perfume, cologne, and other fragrances for the comfort of all participan