February 3, 2012

Subscribe to Friday Mail        Website Feedback

Recent Information

• Oregon Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against Sheltered Workshops

• Ability to Benefit Test for College Financial Aid not an Option for Individuals without GED or Diploma

• Do You Qualify Federal Earned Income Tax Credit?

• Who pays for business tax cuts? Not the top 1%

• Transportation Security Administration(TSA) Helpline for Travelers with Disabilities

• Vanguard is pleased to present their 2012 Grant Writing Class Series!

• Autism Society of Michigan Events Schedule

• Wayne State University's Developmental Disability Institute "Possibilities" Video Series

• New Federal Rule Proposed to Boost Employment of Individuals with Disabilities

• Comments Due on the Essential Health Benefits (EHB) Bulletin January 31st

• Michigan Consumers for Healthcare News

• The Arc eNewsletter - January 9, 2012

• Governor Snyder's State of the State Outline Document

• Overview of Governor Snyder's State of the State Address

• The Autistic Self Advocacy Network's New Publishing Effort About Having Loud Hands

• Consensus Revenue Report Adopted January 13th, 2012

• Wiener Associates' Eleven Reflections on 2011

• The Long-term Care Challenge is Test of Our Nation's Character

• Free Webinar Series: 2012 Lunchtime Individualized Education Program (IEP) Trainings - February 16th, March 15th, April 19th & May 17th

• Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" Speech

• 2012 Tax Guide Released by Tom Kendziorski -   Download (pdf file) here

• New SSI Rates effective January 1, 2012

• Panel Urges Lower Cutoff for Child Lead Poisoning

• Federal Ruling Allows Michigan Consumers and Patients to Keep More Than $53 Million

• Obama Proposal Prevents Paying Companions Under Minimum Wage

• Advocacy Institute's Document, ESEA Flexibility Request: Tips for Protecting Students with Disabilities

• Matching Game Paints a Picture

• Save the Date! May 21, 2012 - Temple Grandin, Ph.D. in Grand Rapids

• Michigan Quality Community Care Council (MQC3): Myths vs. Facts

• Forty-One of the 50 Largest U.S. Cities Had Increases in Rates of Children Living in Low-Income Families Between 2007 and 2010

• Real People, Real Facts, Real Fallout

• Final Version 2011 Michigan Direct Care Workforce Fact Sheet

• HUD Points Out Olmstead Enforcement Options

• Michigan Alliance for Families Web site offers Resources to help Families

• Census Reveals Struggles- Statement on poverty, income and health insurance

• Creating a Happy Ending for Kids

• Study: Medicaid Coverage Makes a "Big Difference"

• Subscribe to The Arc Capitol Insider

• Michigan Partners for Freedom Videos on YouTube:

  • What Does Freedom Mean?

  • Freedom is Meant for You and Me

• Find The Arc Michigan on Facebook!

• Other items

Opportunities for Comments and Involvement

Action Alert! Innovative Advocacy! New ways to be heard!

Other items

• The Evolution of Disability Rights Litigation (and some stories)                               by David Ferleger, Esq.

• Health Reform Fact Sheet - Benefits for People with Disabilities

• Michigan Partners for Freedom Current and Previous Newsletters

Oregon Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against Sheltered Workshop

Disability Rights Oregon

PORTLAND, ORE. – Jan. 25, 2012 – Advocates for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities today filed a class action lawsuit challenging Oregon’s failure to provide supported employment services to more than 2,300 state residents who are segregated in sheltered workshops where they perform mundane tasks, such as folding UPS bags.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court, charges state officials with violating the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act by confining individuals with disabilities to segregated settings where they have little – if any – interaction with non-disabled peers. Moreover, they are paid far below the state’s minimum wage of $8.80 for doing rote tasks that offer no training, no skills, and no advancement.

For more than a decade, lead plaintiff Paula Lane, 48, has had the same request: “Find me an outside job.” Instead, she and 137 other people with disabilities package gloves or put parts into boxes on assembly lines in a noisy and crowded sheltered workshop in Beaverton. Over a 12-month period in 2010-11, she made a high of $.66/hour. Oregon currently spends $30 million a year supporting individuals with disabilities in workshops. The plaintiffs contend it would be much cheaper to fund programs that promote integrated, supported employment.

Despite her request for competitive employment and her high performance scores, her individualized service plan has no goals related to employment. She lives in an apartment with staff support, and would like to go to a country music concert or attend an Upward Bound
camp, but her resources are limited.  Click here to read more or to view complaint, fact sheet and press coverage.                                     top

Ability to Benefit Test for College Financial Aid not an Option for Individuals without  GED or Diploma

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) has confirmed that starting in the 2012/2013 school year, the Ability to Benefit Test for college financial aid will no longer be an option for individuals without a GED or Diploma. This is a potential barrier for many of the students we serve.

Students should contact their financial aid office to ask what needs to be done to receive financial aid. Each institution is able to determine how and to whom they award money. One community college confirmed that if a student (without a GED or diploma) can pay for six credit hours in an approved program and pass success, financial aid can then be issued.

top

Do You Qualify Federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC?)

Below is a link to the Michigan Earned Income Tax Credit site. Clients can be referred here to see if they may qualify, to find places to file for free, and to be directed to an online filing site that is very simple and easy to use. The goal is to help people find a place to get their taxes done for free. The credit can be significant, so it is important to encourage low wage earners to file. The credits can help workers keep working and care for themselves and their children. Data indicates that many use the money for: child care, rent, utilities, transportation, auto repairs, basic needs, and medical expenses.

Each year, over 10 billion dollars goes unclaimed. In 2009, more than 9 million people were lifted above the poverty line by claiming the earned income tax credit and the child tax credit!

One of the big qualifications is that the client must have worked in the tax year 2011. Basic qualifications can be found below. Michigan also has an EITC which is 20% of the federal EITC.
www.michiganeic.org/taxpayers/michigan-eic-taxpayer-home

top

Who pays for business tax cuts? Not the top 1%

Study from Michigan League for Human Services
 

Michigan’s wealthiest households — the top 1 percent — will be barely touched by income tax changes approved last year by Gov. Rick Snyder and the Michigan Legislature, while all other groups will pay substantially more in income taxes, a new analysis released from the Michigan League for Human Services concludes.

Click here to read the report (pdf) Click here to read the Executive Summary (pdf)

top

WASHINGTON 

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced the launch of TSA Cares today, a new helpline number designed to assist travelers with disabilities and medical conditions, prior to getting to the airport. Travelers may call TSA Cares toll free at 1-855-787-2227 prior to traveling with questions about screening policies, procedures and what to expect at the security checkpoint. Click here for more information.

top

Vanguard is pleased to present their 2012 Grant Writing Class Series! Please see the attached information for the classes that will be held on Saturdays, February 4th, 11th, 25th, March 3rd, and 17th from 9 a.m. until noon at Triumph Church located at 2760 East Grand Boulevard across from Vanguard CDC’s offices. Please pass the word and plan to attend! This is a great class!

top

Autism Society of Michigan Events

• ACC-EMU & ASM Focus Workshops in Ypsilanti (9:30 am - 3:30 pm)

  • February 23rd, March 22nd, April 26th

• Exploration of Micro-Enterprises Event in Ferndale, April 14th (10:00 - 2:00 pm)

• Two Day Focus Workshop in St. Ignace, May 3rd & 4th

• 2012 ASM's Annual 5k Run/Walk for Autism Acceptance in Lansing, May 19th

• 2012 ASM Spring Conference in Grand Rapids, May 21st

Click here for more details                           top

Wayne State University's Developmental Disability Institute "Possibilities" Video Series

These four short (5 minute) videos were produced to help individuals and families see how life can be fulfilling for everyone regardless of their disability.
ddi.wayne.edu/possibilities.php                    top

New Federal Rule Proposed to Boost Employment of Individuals with Disabilities
From Evolved Employer, by Melissa J. Anderson

According to a new US Labor Department proposal, companies with federal contracts will have to have 7% of their workforces made up of people with disabilities. With roughly 200,000 federal contractors, the Associated Press reported, that means a quarter of the nation’s companies would be affected by the rule – federal contractors take in about $700 billion annually.

Patricia Shiu, Director of the Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, said, “This is probably the greatest proposal for real substantive change since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act” of 1990.

Click here to read more.                               top

We have a busy few months coming up! Please make sure you attend our quarterly meetings and one of the train the trainer events! GENERAL QUARTERLY MEMBERSHIP MEETING, February 15, 2012

According to recent reports by the Herndon Alliance and others, women, like men aren’t informed about the benefits of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). There is also evidence that when women become informed about the ACA, support for the ACA goes up. Therefore, in order to increase the support of the full implantation of the ACA based upon the needs of consumers, MCH is launching a series of activities focusing on women education and advocacy efforts. The first activity will be a webinar presentation by Dr. Alina Salganicoff from the Kaiser Family Foundation to the general membership meeting attendees on February 15, 2012. Special effort will be made to include Michigan-specific data where applicable.

(Topic of Webinar: "Medicaid’s Role for Women across the Lifespan: Current Issues and the Impact of the Affordable Care Act")

Click here for "Train the Trainer" event and additional news.

top

Governor Snyder's State of the State Outline Document

Please find a link below to view an official summary of Governor Snyder's State of the State Address obtained by the Detroit News.

http://download.gannett.edgesuite.net/detnews/2012/pdf/0118snyderoutline.pdf

Starting with his first State of the State last year, Governor Snyder departed from trends set by his predecessors and gave his addressed based on a detailed outline, rather than prepared text.

Wiener Associates will continue to monitor reactions to the Governor’s address throughout the week and provide additional updates as action takes place. Governor Snyder will give his official budget presentation for the upcoming fiscal year on Thursday, February 9.

top

Overview of Governor Snyder's State of the State Address

Prepared by Wiener Associates

Governor Rick Snyder gave his second State of the State Address before a joint convention of the State House and State Senate. Speaking for about an hour, much of the address served as a look back to the accomplishments of 2011 to “reinvent Michigan,” while acknowledging some of priorities that were not achieved. Governor Snyder also stressed 2011 was the year to lay the foundation for good government that best serves the people, with many of these initiatives accomplished, he called for 2012 to be a year in which “good government is implemented.”

Throughout the address, Snyder reiterated the theme of “relentless positive action” used in his 2010 campaign and first year in office. He noted for the first time in three years, Michigan’s unemployment rate is below 10%--falling from 11.1% to 9.3% in 2011 alone. More than 80,000 private sector jobs were created in 2011 statewide, with most of these jobs having an average salary higher than the national average. He also lauded improved outlooks for Michigan’s bond rating, the strong resurgence of the American auto industry, and the ongoing success of the Pure Michigan ad campaign to promote tourism.

Click here to read more (pdf)                         top

The Autistic Self Advocacy Network's New Publishing Effort is about Having Loud Hands

from ASAN's January 2012 Newsletter

Loud Hands
by Landon Bryce

The Autistic Self Advocacy Network's new publishing effort is about having "loud hands", which means celebrating and preserving Autistic culture and resilience. Fundraising has begun for its first effort, which will include both a print anthology and a multimedia website.

Julia Bascom is spearheading the Loud Hands Project. She heard the phrase from a parent, who said their child wasn't taught "quiet hands" because they would need loud hands one day. "I spent a lot of time thinking about why that sentence struck me so much," she said, "and then I started to use it as a placeholder for a much bigger theory."

"First of all, of course, a lot of Autistic people are familiar with the idea of 'quiet hands.' Quiet hands don't flap, don't tap, don't gesticulate enthusiastically, are indistinguishable from hands belonging to a neurotypical person. 'Loud hands' originated in opposition to this.

"'Having loud hands' is about being proudly Autistic," Julia explained. "I have loud hands when I'm playing with my purple beads while working, or when I see another autistic person at the store and flap at them, or when I get excited about something and allow myself to show it. Loud hands are also inherently defiant--pulling my hands back when someone grabs them, deciding for myself if my priorities are indistinguishability and passing and stealth or being happy and being able to think, being proud of something I'm told to be ashamed of, making a deliberate choice to stim in public because I need to get groceries and the alternative is not being able to finish the trip, signing or typing when I can't speak.

Click here to read the entire article (pdf)

top

From Wiener Associates, January 13, 2012

The State Treasurer, along with the House and Senate Fiscal Agency Directors, met for the first Consensus Revenue Estimating Conference of 2012.

They agreed General Fund/General Purpose (GF/GP) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 will be higher than recent years—totaling $9 billion. This marks a $278 million increase from the last consensus revenue report in May 2011. The adopted consensus agreement also forecasts an increase in the School Aid Fund (SAF) by $138 million from May’s estimates, to a total of $10.6 billion. For FY 2013, early projections show an expected increase of $216 million in combined GF/GP and SAF.

Economists from the University of Michigan predicted a slow but steady economic recovery for the state and for U.S. as a whole. They believe the state is “more than two years” into a sustained recovery with the “darkest days” in the past, and that Michigan has a better foundation for recovery than most other states. For 2011, the state actually saw greater job growth than the U.S. economy. However, economists noted Michigan’s unemployment average is not expected to dip below 9% until sometime in 2014. Statewide unemployment is forecasted to be at 9.4% in 2012, with slight decreases over the next two years.

In addition, officials from the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) appeared at today’s hearing to urge all states to prepare for large federal spending cuts that will occur as part of the Budget Control Act, which passed last year after the congressional “super committee” failed to reach an agreement on sending cuts. NCSL believes these cuts will have a significant impact on state government, especially in FY 2013 when the full impact of cuts will begin to be realized.

While final totals for FY 2011 did see a $1.2 billion surplus, most of those dollars were already committed to programs for FY 2012 spending. After today’s conference, State Budget Director John Nixon announced there is an unexpected $457 million surplus leftover from FY 2011 and that the Snyder Administration plans to spend this in the FY 2013 budget. He did not provide details of what would be included in any supplemental.

Like previous years’ consensus agreements, this year’s agreement represents a significant compromise between the more optimistic projections of the House Fiscal Agency and the more “restrained” growth estimates of the Senate Fiscal Agency. Both agencies and the State Treasurer will meet again in May for another conference as required by the Michigan Constitution to re-evaluate revenue forecasts.

Governor Snyder will present his second State of the State Address next Wednesday, January 18 and will hold his official FY 2013 budget presentation on Thursday, February 9.

Please find an official copy of today’s Consensus Revenue Report attached as a PDF document. We have also included a link to the official document below, along with additional analysis documents provided by the House and Senate Fiscal Agencies on outlooks for future budgets. Some of these documents are large in size and make take some time to load.

Consensus Revenue Executive Summary:
www.senate.michigan.gov/sfa/Publications/BudUpdates/ConsensusRevExecSum.pdf
Detail of Consensus Revenue Estimates:
www.senate.michigan.gov/sfa/Publications/BudUpdates/ConsensusRevEstimates.pdf
Updated State Budget Year-End Balance Estimates:
www.senate.michigan.gov/sfa/Publications/BudUpdates/YearEndBalance.pdf

top

Eleven Reflections on 2011 (pdf) is the latest in Wiener Associates’ series of political thought pieces prepared by founder Rick Wiener. As always, we welcome your reactions and feedback.

top

The Long-term Care Challenge isn't just a Fiscal Problem, its a Test of Our Nation's Character-

Commentary - January 9, 2012

by Larry Polivka, lpolivka2@fsu.edu

When it comes to caring for the elderly and the disabled, fiscal austerity and moral imperatives come into direct conflict. So as the baby boomers enter their twilight years, a scholar at the Claude Pepper Foundation writes, the nation will have a stark choice between communal values or neoliberal ones.

Click here to read Mr. Polivka's commentary in Nieman Watchdog.

top

2012 Through The Looking Glass Scholarship for High School Seniors or College Students who have Parents with Disabilities - Application Deadline - March 5, 2012

Through the Looking Glass and its National Center for Parents with Disabilities and their Families are pleased to announce new scholarships specifically for high school seniors or college students who have parents with disabilities. A total of fifteen $1000 scholarships will be given out Fall 2012. These scholarships are part of Through the Looking Glass' National Center for Parents with Disabilities and their Families. These scholarships are open to
all students whose parent has any significant disability or health condition. Although no specific parental disabilities are prioritized for these scholarships, we especially encourage those students who have a parent with an intellectual disability to apply for these scholarships.
Click here to download application. (pdf)

top

Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" Speech

As we continue our struggle to ensure that persons with various disabilities are provided all their human and civil rights, please pause to reflect on Martin Luther's "I Have A Dream" speech (pdf), delivered on August 28, 1963.

 top 

Free Webinar Series: 2012 Lunchtime Individualized Education Program (IEP) Trainings- February 16th, March 15th, April 19th & May 17th

Join Michigan Alliance for Families Parent Training and Information Center as they present a series of IEP trainings for parents and educators. Space is limited, so please register online for one or all sessions. You will receive a confirmation e-mail with directions for the Webinar.

Questions? send e-mail to info@michiganallianceforfamilies.org  or call 734.994.8100 ext.1590

Please share this flyer with others! (pdf), which contains active links to online registration.   

top

2012 Tax Guide Released

The 2012 Tax Guide for Income Tax year 2011 (pdf) has been released by Thomas F. Kendziorski, Esq., Executive Director of The Arc of Oakland County. The guide can be found on the left navigation panel of The Arc Michigan site and is also available at www.thearcoakland.org                                 top 

New SSI Rates effective January 1, 2012 reflect the 3.6% COLA increase for Social Security and SSI benefits. Thank you to Thomas F. Kendziorski, Esq., Executive Director of The Arc of Oakland County for providing this SSI rate information. (pdf)

top 

By MIKE STOBBE, AP Medical Writer, January 4, 2012
ATLANTA (AP) — For the first time in 20 years, a federal panel is urging the government to lower the threshold for lead poisoning in children.

If adopted, hundreds of thousands more children could be diagnosed with lead poisoning. Too much lead is harmful to developing brains and can mean a lower IQ.

Recent research persuaded panel members that children could be harmed from lead levels in their blood that are lower than the current standard, officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

While the number of cases has been falling, health officials think as many as 250,000 children have the problem, many of those undiagnosed. The proposed change could take it to 450,000 cases.

Wednesday's vote by the Advisory Committee on Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention would lower the definition of lead poisoning for young children from 10 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood to 5 micrograms. The CDC has accepted all of the panel's recommendations in the past.

Lead — a metal that for years was common in paint and gasoline — can harm a child's brain, kidneys and other organs. High levels in the blood can cause coma, convulsions and death. Lower levels can reduce intelligence, impair hearing and behavior and cause other problems.

Click here to read more.                              top

Federal Ruling Allows Michigan Consumers and Patients to Keep More Than $53 Million

Monday, December 19, 2011
Thanks to the letters and phone calls HHS received from people like you, health insurance companies must spend at least 80 percent of premium revenues on patient care or rebate policyholders the difference, under a federal ruling today that benefits Michigan consumers and patients. The ruling denies a Michigan Office of Financial and Insurance Regulation (OFIR) waiver application that would have diverted more than $53 million in projected consumer rebates back to commercial insurance carriers in Michigan.

“Today’s decision is a significant defeat for the insurance lobby and one that will allow our state’s consumers to rightfully keep more than $53 million of their own hard-earned money,” said Don Hazaert, Director of Michigan Consumers for Healthcare (MCH), the state’s largest advocacy organization for healthcare consumers. “This ruling places the focus on the best interest of the consumer and ultimately compels health insurance companies to spend more premium dollars on direct care rather than on company profits and expenses.”

Today’s ruling came from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which denied an application from OFIR seeking a waiver from the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that would allow commercial insurance carriers to keep up to 35 percent of all premiums paid, rather than the 20 percent they are currently allowed under law. If the waiver had been approved, commercial carriers would have been allowed to pocket more than $53 million in premiums over the next three years that would normally have been rebated back to consumers under the ACA.

“It’s good news that the waiver request was denied,” said Eric Schneidewind, president of AARP Michigan. “The requirements in the Affordable Care Act set forth a reasonable and fair standard that will help control the cost of insurance premiums paid by consumers, and help ensure that insurance policies deliver value for consumers.”

The HHS ruling upheld a regulation known as the “medical loss ratio” provision of the Affordable Care Act. Starting Jan. 1, insurance companies that fail to use at least 80 percent of premiums for care and quality improvements will be required to provide a rebate to their customers starting in 2012.

“This ruling also benefits consumers by making the insurance marketplace more transparent and making it easier for consumers to purchase plans that provide better value for their money,” Hazaert said. “Thanks to the decision made by HHS, Michiganders will get better value for their health insurance premium dollar beginning January 1. These new rules are an important step to hold insurance companies accountable and increase value for consumers.”

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! We couldn't have done it without you!

top

Obama Proposal Prevents Paying Companions Under Minimum Wage

Medicaid Waiver News
The White House Blog
By the Numbers: $21,000
Posted by Megan Slack on December 15, 2011 at 03:44 PM EST

Today President Obama announced a proposal that would ensure fair pay for the 1.79 million workers who provide critical in-home care services for the elderly and infirm. Because of the way the Fair Labor Standards Act is written, these workers are classified as “companions” and therefore exempt from minimum wage and overtime requirements, despite the fact many of them work up to 70 hours a week. The average salary for full-time, in-home care workers is just $21,000 a year.

These workers should be paid fairly for their hard work and long hours and today's proposed legislation changes would ensure that they are.  Click here to view entire article. 

               top                   

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Flexibility Request: Tips for Protecting Students with Disabilities

The Advocacy Institute  has developed a document to help parents get involved in the development of state ESEA Flexibility Requests. This is a good resource and might be of interest to chapters that do special ed advocacy.

Click here to read or download : http://www.advocacyinstitute.org/blog/?page_id=69

top

Matching Game Paints a Picture

From the First Tuesday Newsletter by Gilda Z. Jacobs
Michigan League for Human Services - December 2011
As 2011 draws to a close, it’s a good time for reflection. Unfortunately, 2011 was another difficult year for families in Michigan, and we know that policy decisions turned the clock backward.

Michigan Quality Community Care Council (MQC3): Myths vs. Facts

The Michigan Homecare Coalition, longtime advocates for Michigan seniors and persons with disabilities, has sent a letter to the Michigan Senate and House of Representatives (pdf), expressing their frustration with the Mackinac Center for Public Policy's misrepresentation of the work and legal status of the MQC3. Click here to see Myths vs. Facts (pdf)

A summary of the facts stated in the letter include:

• MQC3 helps seniors and persons with disabilities remain healthy in their homes

• MQC3 has not been closed or dissolved.

• MQC3 helps hundreds of Home Help recipients find staff to provide services and supports

• MQC3 has assisted the state by monitoring paid unemployment claims within the Home Help program, resulting in Michigan receiving $1.4 million in reimbursement credits.

• In 2004, 15 senior and disability rights organizations came together to advocate for the creation of the MQC3 to ensure our citizens have access to high quality in-home supports and services.

Forty-One of the 50 Largest U.S. Cities Had Increases in Rates of Children Living in Low-Income Families Between 2007 and 2010

From www.milhs.org
Four out of every five kids in Detroit lived at less than 200 percent of poverty - the level many experts consider necessary to cover the most basic needs, according to KIDS COUNT.

New Data from the American Community Survey Now Available on the KIDS COUNT Data Center
Baltimore, Md. – The 2010 American Community Survey (ACS) data released today shows an increase in the number and rate of low-income children in the United States. Within the 50 largest U.S. cities (based on information from the 2010 Decennial Census), Detroit, Mich., Cleveland, Ohio, Milwaukee, Wis., Memphis, Tenn., and Dallas, Texas had the highest rates of children living below 200 percent of poverty. Seattle, Wash., Virginia Beach, Va., San Francisco, Calif., San Jose Calif., and Colorado Springs, Colo. had the lowest rates of children living below 200 percent of poverty.

“The national percentage of low-income children rose from 39 percent (28.6 million) in 2007 to 44 percent (32.2 million) in 2010,” said Laura Speer, associate director for Policy Reform and Data at the Annie E. Casey Foundation. “This increase means that 3.6 million more children were living below 200 percent of the federal poverty line, which is about $44,000 for a family of four, a minimum needed for most families to make ends meet.” Click here to read more.

top

Real People, Real Facts, Real Fallout

From www.milhs.org

The impact of the state budget starting Oct. 1 is real.

The new state budget removes $550 million from our economy by cutting needed services for children, families, people with disabilities, jobless workers and the elderly.
See the report: Real People, Real Facts, Real Fallout (pdf).

http://www.milhs.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/RealPeopleRealFactsRealFallout.pdf

top

Final Version of PHI's Direct Care Workforce Fact Sheet

Message from Hollis Turnham:

"Here is the final version of PHI's Direct-Care Workforce Fact Sheet on the Direct-Care Workforce. We will have printed copies of the document in a couple weeks. Please feel free to distribute this information broadly, including linking to it on our new Michigan policy website http://phinational.org/policy/phi-michigan

If you would like to use one of these charts (or others that we have posted on the website above or our "chart gallery"), let me know."

Hollis Turnham, Midwest Director

1325 S. Washington, Lansing, MI

hturnham@phinational.org

Additional Resources Related to Dual Eligibles

• AARP, Commonwealth, SCAN State Scorecard on LTSS
  http://www.longtermscorecard.org/

• NASUAD State Medicaid Reform Tracker
  http://www.nasuad.org/documentation/nasuad_materials/8-11 Medicaid Reform Tracker.pdf                                        top

HUD Points Out Olmstead Enforcement Options

From SteveGoldADA.com Bulletin # 340, September 2011

HUD's Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity issued guidance on 8/11/2011 to its regional and field offices regarding enforcement of the ADA, Section 504 and particularly the Olmstead decision. It noted that HUD has "prioritized efforts to support the transition of people with disabilities out of institutions and into community-based settings." The guidance "highlights civil rights related compliance and monitoring strategies to ensure that public housing programs operate in a manner that supports this important objective."

HUD pointed out that Section 504 imposed "an affirmative obligation on Public Housing Authorities to assess the housing needs of persons with disabilities in their local service area, which includes persons transitioning from institutional to community-based settings." Under a Phi's housing choice voucher program, this affirmative duty includes ensuring that PHA's "adopt suitable means to assure that the notice [of the availability of vouchers] reaches" persons in institutions.  

Click here to read more.                              top

Michigan Alliance for Families is excited to announce that our website (www.michiganallianceforfamilies.org/eo) now includes information to help families become more involved in the growth and development of infants and toddlers.

Michigan Alliance for Families, in partnership with Early On Michigan, announces resources to help families know their rights, better communicate their child’s needs, support the development of infants and toddlers, and prepare for the transition out of Early On into the preschool years. These resources are available to families, Early On Service Coordinators and Service Providers to increase the involvement of Michigan families in the growth and development of infants and toddlers.
Website resources include:

Handouts and video information on developmental milestones and how to promote development and learning through play

• Handouts and video information to help families prepare to leave Early On and move on to Preschool
• Learning tools to help families improve communication skills

• Information to help families know their rights (Procedural Safeguards),
  including evaluation, Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) development, natural environments and service coordination.

top

Census Reveals Struggles - Statement on poverty, income and health insurance numbers released

From Michigan League for Human Services - September 13, 2011

Michigan’s long economic struggle is reflected in preliminary 2010 numbers released by the Census Bureau today. The state poverty rate increase by more than 50 percent over the decade – rising from 9.8 percent in 1999-2000 to 14.8 percent in 2009-2010 — while households saw their median income drop by more than $12,000 a year in inflation-adjusted dollars since the start of the decade, the largest drop in the country.

Read the release
Read Factually Speaking blog post
See analysis by the Center on Budget & Policy Priorities

top

Creating a Happy Ending for Kids

By Gilda Z. Jacobs

From Michigan League for Human Services Tuesday newsletter. Sign up here
 

Kids across Michigan today are lining up for school buses, breaking open those new packages of Crayolas and settling in for storytime.

The first day of school is thrilling and we want all of our children to partake in the promise and excitement that a new school year brings.

But for children living in poverty there are economic problems that can disrupt that good start to the school year.

Sometimes people tell stories, and sometimes data tells the story. Let’s look at the story that begins this school year. Once upon a time . . .

• The national KIDS COUNT Data Book (pdf), while showing some improvements, ranks Michigan 36th for babies born too small, which elevates their risk of chronic disease, developmental delay and even death. (This could cost us more down the road.)

• More than half of Michigan’s unemployed adults of prime working age (25-54) last year spent a half year or longer looking for jobs (pdf) — the longest on record. Unemployment hovers around 11 percent, much worse in rural and urban areas.     

Click here to read entire article.                    top

Study: Medicaid Coverage Makes a "Big Difference"

From Michigan Council for Maternal and Child Health  MCMCH
 

A new study published July 7th generated a lot of buzz for its revelations on the effect of Medicaid coverage for low-income adults. The study followed 10,000 low-income, uninsured adults in Oregon who were randomly selected in a 2008 state lottery to accept additional people into its Medicaid program. The health outcomes of these people were compared to the 80,000 applicants who weren't selected in the lottery. Under the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid coverage will be expanded to cover additional low-income adults in all states in 2014.

The first year of the ongoing study showed that Medicaid coverage increases the likelihood of outpatient care by 35 percent, the use of prescription drugs by 15 percent, and of hospital admission by 30 percent. This leads to about a 25 percent increase in annual health care spending. Medicaid coverage also increases the use of recommended preventive care such as mammograms by 60 percent and cholesterol monitoring by 20 percent. It also increases access to care. For example, people with Medicaid were 70 percent more likely than those without insurance to have a regular doctor's office or clinic for primary care, and were 55 percent more likely to have a particular doctor that they usually see.

The findings are published as a working paper on the website of the National Bureau of Economic Research. www.nber.org

"Some people wonder whether Medicaid coverage has any effect. The study findings make clear that it does. People reported that their physical and mental health were substantially better after a year of insurance coverage, and they were much less likely to have to borrow money or go into debt to pay for their care," co-principal investigator Amy Finkelstein, a professor of economics at MIT, said in the news release. (Read full news release at  U.S. News Health Day)                                                   top                     

The Evolution of Disability Rights Litigation (and some stories) by David Ferleger, Esq.

From The Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities

David Ferleger, J.D. of Philadelphia, PA, graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1972. He has a national law and consulting practice, specializing in public interest, civil rights and disability law.

He has litigated landmark disability cases, argued five times before the Supreme Court of the United States, assisted the courts, represented individuals and government agencies, taught law school, and has written, lectured and consulted nationally. David Ferleger's articles and videos (below) are also located at http://www.mnddc.org/disability-litigation/index.html

• The Arc of Disability Rights Litigation (Video)

• In the Supreme Court: The Right to Treatment (Article) (Video Part 1 and Part 2)

• Why I Do What I Do (Video)

• In the Supreme Court: Civil Commitment and the Least Restrictive Principle (Video)

• In the Supreme Court (or Heading There): Two Undecided Questions on Community Services (Article) (Video)

• Use of Human Services Restraint: Reduce, Replace or Relinquish? (Article) (Video)

• In the Supreme Court: The Constitutional Right to Community Services (Article) (Video)

• Employment for People with Disabilities (Video)

Health Reform Fact Sheet - Benefits for People with Disabilities

from Michigan Consumers for Healthcare Advancement (MCHA)

The Affordable care Act (ACA) increases access and choice in health care:

• Eliminates discrimination by Insurance Companies

• Expands and Strengthens Medicare and Medicaid

• More Choices

• New Options for State to Offer Long-Term Care Choices

• More Accessible and Better Quality Health Care

Please distribute the attached fact sheet (pdf)

 top

• Sign up to receive a Friday Mail notification. Subscribe to Friday Mail

• Notify The Arc Michigan of e-mail address changes. Update E-mail Address

• Remove your name from the Friday mail list. Unsubscribe

• Please send your feedback. Comments and Suggestions

top