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Public Policy |
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Supports governmental
advocacy at the local, state and national level
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Dohn Hoyle, Executive
Director for The Arc Michigan, is a registered lobbyist
with the State of Michigan.
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The Arc Michigan employs
Wiener and Associates as a full service, bipartisan,
governmental affairs law firm located in Lansing,
Michigan.
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Action Alerts |
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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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Doing Advocacy |
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Issues/Updates |
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(New)
Public Policy Update - May 9, 2008
from Wiener and Associates
Click
Here to read.
(posted 5/9/08) |
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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:
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$10.8 million reduction for Healthy Michigan Fund,
and roll up into a single line item
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Does not fund pilot mental health courts
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Does not fund proposed increased funding for
sexually transmitted disease or proposed new funding
for resistant staph infections
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Expands Healthy Kids Dental to Montcalm County
(one-quarter year)
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Increases local public health department funding
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Retains nursing home variable rate at 4.9%
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Eliminates Medicaid eligibility for 19 and 20 year
olds
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Rejects roll up of long term care line item funding
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Phases in expansion of home and community based
waiver and rejects transfer to support the home and
community based waiver line item
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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.
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Highlights of
the Department of Community Health Executive Budget
Recommendations for Fiscal Year 2009
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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)
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An increase in Mental
Health funding, of 3.4% (Actuarial Soundness)
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Full year funding for
Adult Home Help providers at a minimum of $7.50/hr
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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
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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)
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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 |
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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 |
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Legislative Goals for the 110th Congress |
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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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