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Upcoming Events

June 12 - 14th

The Arc Michigan's 57th Annual Conference  

Bay City, Michigan

Early Deadline

May 31, 2008

Registration Form & Information

 

  Check calendar for other events

The Arc Michigan

1325 S. Washington Ave.
Lansing, MI 48910-1652
Phone: (800) 292-7851

or (517) 487-5426
Fax: (517) 487-0303
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Public Policy

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  • Supports governmental advocacy at the local, state and national level

  • Dohn Hoyle, Executive Director for The Arc Michigan, is a registered lobbyist with the State of Michigan.

  • The Arc Michigan employs Wiener and Associates as a full service, bipartisan, governmental affairs law firm located in Lansing, Michigan.

Action Alerts
Olmstead Coalition Position on the 2009 Budget - Long Term Care, Supports & Services

 

The Olmstead Coalition has issued a position statement on the Long-Term Care, Supports, and Services portion of the 2009 Michigan Department of Community Health budget. The Olmstead Coalition seeks to ensure that Michigan implements the ruling of the U.S. Supreme Court in the case Olmstead v. L.C. and E.W. that the "integration mandate" of the Americans with Disabilities Act requires public agencies to provide services "in the most integrated setting appropriate to the needs of qualified individuals with disabilities."

 

The Olmstead Coalition affirms that: there must be an unequivocal priority reflected in the Michigan state budget for long-term care, supports, and services evidenced by adequate funding of home care; a unified long-term care line item enables funding efficiencies according to people's needs and preferences; it supports the Governor's budget which includes an increase in wages for Home Help workers; Single Point of Entry funding must be continued and enhanced; there is a need for accountability of quality assurance and improvement. (2/29/08)

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Issues/Updates
(New) Public Policy Update - May 9, 2008 from Wiener and Associates Click Here to read.                                   (posted 5/9/08)

March 26, 2008 -The full Senate passed Senate Bill 1094, the FY 2009 budget bill for the Department of Community Health.  It passed on a vote of 20-18. Below is a link to the bill, and a summary, as passed yesterday.

Numerous amendments were offered and debated on the floor, with all but a handful defeated. Defeated amendments included: restore the Healthy Michigan Fund; restore Medicaid coverage for 10 and 20 year olds; fund pilot mental health courts; expand the Healthy Kids Dental program into Wayne and Oakland Counties; fund awareness and prevention programs for sexually transmitted diseases; increase funding for senior services through the Older Michiganians Act; and re-invest nursing home savings into expanded home and community based services.

Among the handful of amendments that were adopted: $125,000 to expand Healthy Kids Dental into the city of Roseville; $25,000 for a pilot diabetes management program in Muskegon; and boilerplate language requiring the Department to present its plan for a centralized mental health risk pool by January 1.

The bill now moves to the House for deliberation and negotiation.  Details of the House subcommittee hearing schedule are not yet available, but activity is expected to begin shortly after the House returns from recess on April 8.

http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2007-2008/billengrossed/Senate/pdf/2008-SEBS-1094.pdf    

http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2007-2008/billanalysis/Senate/pdf/2007-SFA-1094-U.pdf

Public Policy Update- March 13, 2008 Summary of recommendations for the Department of Community Health FY 2009 budget bill (Senate Bill 1094) as reported from the Senate Subcommittee on March 13. In aggregate, the subcommittee recommends $4.3 million less in General Fund/General Purpose spending than the Governor, but there are numerous changes to specific programs, services, and boilerplate sections.  

Among the changes from the Governor’s proposal: 

  • $10.8 million reduction for Healthy Michigan Fund, and roll up into a single line item
  • Does not fund pilot mental health courts
  • Does not fund proposed increased funding for sexually transmitted disease or proposed new funding for resistant staph infections
  • Expands Healthy Kids Dental to Montcalm County (one-quarter year)
  • Increases local public health department funding
  • Retains nursing home variable rate at 4.9%
  • Eliminates Medicaid eligibility for 19 and 20 year olds
  • Rejects roll up of long term care line item funding
  • Phases in expansion of home and community based waiver and rejects transfer to support the home and community based waiver line item
  • Increases fee for service pharmaceutical dispensing fee

The Senate Appropriations Committee is currently scheduled to take up this budget bill on Thursday, March 20, at 1:30 p.m. The full Senate is expected to complete action on the bill before adjourning for spring recess on March 28. House deliberations will begin shortly after the House returns from its spring recess on April 8.

Highlights of the Department of Community Health Executive Budget Recommendations for Fiscal Year 2009

  • An increase in the FMAP (Federal Match Rate for Medicaid_ from 58.1 to 60.27 (The State Portion reduces to 39.73 cents/dollar)

  • An increase in Mental Health funding, of 3.4% (Actuarial Soundness)

  • Full year funding for Adult Home Help providers at a minimum of $7.50/hr

  • 24 Million to expand Community based Long Term Care services for those otherwise eligible for Nursing Home Level of Care

FY 2009 MDCH Executive Budget Recommendations Overview  and Highlights

Home Help Services in Workplace -Michigan's Medicaid State Plan has been revised to allow Home Help Services  in the workplace effective December1, 2007.  The Adult Services Manual policy change states:

"Home Help Services (HHS) may now be provided for the specific purpose of enabling the client to be employed.

The current assessment process for personal care services remains unchanged. A separate assessment for the workplace is not required.

The hours approved may be used either in the home or the workplace. Additional hours are not available as a result of employment.

The client determines where services are to be provided, whether in the home or the workplace." (2/29/08)

Medicaid payment rules for case management and targeted case management services

 

The U.S. Senate has passed the Indian Health Services reauthorization legislation (S. 1200) including an amendment to temporarily delay until April 1, 2009 application of proposed changes to Medicaid payment rules for case management and targeted case management services.  

 

According to Voices for America's Children, the interpretation of the Deficit Reduction Act concerning case management by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is extremely restrictive to child welfare services, and to a great measure, outstretches the original intent of Congress. The proposed changes would precipitate loss of services to populations—where other federal programs do not have the flexibility to provide services—resulting in states either having to assume fiscal responsibility, or to eliminate services all together.

 

S.1200 has been sent to the House and referred to the Committees on Natural Resources, Energy and Commerce, and Ways and Means. Michigan representatives serving on these Committees include:

 

Natural Resources: Dale E. Kildee.

Energy and Commerce: John H. Dingell - Chair, Bart Stupak, Fred Upton and Mike Rogers

Ways and Means:  Sander M. Levin and Dave Camp

Presidential Candidates and Disability Issues

Are you interested what positions on disability issues the Presidential candidates have?  Here are some links to information from the candidates with active campaigns.

 

Hillary Clinton:

How her plans affect Americans with Disabilities  www.hillaryclinton.com/files/pdf/dis_impactreport.pdf

Remarks at the Granite State Independent Living Forum  www.hillaryclinton.com/news/speech/view/?id=4045

John McCain:  www.johnmccain.com/Informing/Issues/

Barack Obama: 

Plan to Empower Americans with Disabilities, intro  www.barackobama.com/issues/disabilities

Plan to Empower Americans with Disabilities, full  www.barackobama.com/pdf/DisabilityPlanFactSheet.pdf

Ron Paul:  www.ronpaul2008.com/issues

Legislative Goals for the 110th Congress

Allies for Transportation 24/7 - Our Goal: Public Transportation is available 24/7 everywhere in Michigan Through a grant from the Michigan Developmental Disabilities Council, UCP Michigan is developing and compiling information to teach people about transportation issues and services. This is an effort to gain community support of common problems people with disabilities face while riding on public transportation.

 

Have you had problems getting to the bus because of snow drifts by the road? Is the path clear from the sidewalk or bus stop to the bus? Or the curb cut blocked because of snow piled in the way by the snow plow? Does your transportation system have holiday hours? When does it run? Click HERE to check out the site and post your comments. http://www.transportationallies.net 

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