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The Arc on Defeat of Senate Health Care Bill: “Never Underestimate the Power of the Disability Community”

Washington, DC – The Arc released the following statement following the defeat of the Health Care Freedom Act in the United States Senate:

“Never underestimate the power of the disability community, who took on this civil rights fight for themselves and future generations.

“The defeat of this disastrous health care bill is a huge win for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. The Arc thanks all Senators who voted against this bill. Medicaid and the home and community based services and supports program funds are safe, for now.

“Make no mistake – we still have work to do. This year, Congress and the Administration have put on the table over a trillion dollars in cuts to the program, and so the threats remain, whether they resurface in another health care bill, a tax bill, or at any time. Last night, 49 Senators voted for more than $200 billion in Medicaid cuts, and to strip 16 million individuals of their health insurance. Just a few months ago, the House passed legislation that included over $800 billion in cuts to Medicaid, and to take health insurance away from 22 million people. Each vote in favor of these cuts devalued the lives and rights of people with disabilities in our nation. States would have been forced to cut people from the Medicaid rolls or to substantially reduce services; home and community based services were at greatest risk. This harmful bill was crafted behind closed doors, in a disgraceful process that showed a callous disregard for the lives at stake.

“So the work of our movement continues. Advocates across the country will reach out to their Senators and Representatives to thank those who opposed this approach, voice their concerns about threats to Medicaid, and continue to educate elected officials about why Medicaid matters to them,” said Peter Berns, CEO, The Arc.

The Arc advocates for and serves people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), including Down syndrome, autism, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, cerebral palsy and other diagnoses. The Arc has a network of over 650 chapters across the country promoting and protecting the human rights of people with IDD and actively supporting their full inclusion and participation in the community throughout their lifetimes and without regard to diagnosis.

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This Week Is 52nd Anniversary of Medicaid and Medicare: The Irony of Celebration During Times of Attack

By: Nicole Jorwic, Director of Rights Policy

This week in July is always a big one, this year the disability community came together to celebrate the 27th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the 52nd anniversary of the Medicaid and Medicare programs. But a large looming shadow hung over these celebrations, the current healthcare proposals in the House and Senate.

Nicole speaking at the Medicaid CelebrationDuring the past six months, most of my professional life has been consumed by the fight to save Medicaid. Today I was honored to speak as a sibling and professional at a Capitol Hill event celebrating the 52nd anniversary of Medicaid and Medicare, to highlight why we must continue our fight to SAVE MEDICAID.

My Remarks:

My name is Nicole Jorwic, I am the Director of Rights Policy at The Arc of the United States. The Arc promotes and protects the human rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and actively supports their full inclusion and participation in the community throughout their lifetimes.

I am here today though, as a sister. My brother Chris will be 28 years old tomorrow and has autism, he is the reason that I do the work that I do, and as a Medicaid recipient, he is one of the millions of individuals at risk if the proposals in the House and Senate healthcare reform bills become law.

Chris and Nicole We know the numbers – between 22-32 million will lose coverage, millions will lose Medicaid and anywhere from $202 billion (in the “skinny repeal”) to $836 billion (in the House bill) in cuts to federal Medicaid spending. But those numbers represent people, they represent Chris, they represent the 43 heroes from National ADAPT that were arrested last month after staging a die in at Senator McConnell’s office.

That’s right, a die in because Medicaid is literally life and death for people with disabilities. I was lucky enough to be there in solidarity with National ADAPT last month and as I watched people who I respect and admire being pulled from the wheelchairs they use, literally putting their bodies on the line for people like Chris, I wept.

The current proposals quite simply devalue groups of human beings, gutting the Medicaid program, a program that over 10 million people with disabilities and families like mine rely on, and they show that the drafters of this legislation don’t see the value in investing in the lives of the poor, the aging population, pregnant women, people with disabilities, including my Chrissy.

Medicaid is so much more than a health program, it funds long term supports and services that allow people with disabilities to live their full life in the community. Medicaid funded the communication device that gave my nonverbal brother a voice, so that he can advocate for himself. Medicaid funds the day support services that allow my mom, a college professor, and my dad, a small business owner, to remain in their jobs.

SiblingsFamilies like mine started The Arc over 65 years ago to get people OUT of Institutions and included in their communities, and now those antiquated and segregating services may be the only thing left. This is because institutions and nursing homes remain mandatory services, while home and community based services are optional, and will therefore be the first cut when the devastating federal cuts to Medicaid come to the states. We cannot let that happen, we must SAVE MEDICAID. People’s lives literally depend on it. Chris’ does.

The proposals to decimate the Medicaid program to provide tax cuts to corporations and the wealthy is morally reprehensible. As an advocate and Chris’ sister I will do everything I can to stop the current healthcare bills and protect the integrity of the Medicaid program that we are here celebrating today.

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The Arc on Motion to Proceed in Senate: “All Roads From This Vote Are Bad for People With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities”

Washington, DC – The Arc released the following statement on Senate passage of a motion to proceed that starts debate on health care legislation that will impact Medicaid:

“Today, a majority of Senators ignored the pleas of their constituents and moved ahead with debating disastrous health care proposals that will result in people losing health care coverage and threaten the Medicaid home and community based service system.

“All roads from this vote are bad for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. One path repeals without replacing the Affordable Care Act. The Congressional Budget Office analysis showed that under that proposal, by 2026, 32 million people would lose health insurance and premiums would double.

“Another option decimates the Medicaid program, and the home and community based supports and services that people with disabilities rely on to do what many people take for granted, including getting out of bed in the morning, eating, toileting, and simply getting out into the community.

“Now is the time for action – it doesn’t matter if this is the first time someone is calling their Senators, or they’ve called them every day in this fight. This is the civil rights fight of our time, and we will remain vigilant to protect all that has been built to ensure the inclusion and equality of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in our society,” said Peter Berns, CEO, The Arc.

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Evidence-Based Practices: Connecting the Dots Between Research and Practice

Evidence-Based Practices: Connecting the Dots between Research and PracticeWe often hear the terms “best practice” and “evidence-based practice” used in relation to programs or policies – but what do those terms that mean? How do we know if a practice is promising or evidence-based?

A recent article, published in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, offered perspectives on strategies to gather and evaluate evidence as well as guidelines to establish evidence-based practice.

Through a collaboration with AAIDD, The Arc partnered with the lead author, Dr. Robert Schalock, to develop a brief to educate individuals, families, and practitioners on these concepts in hopes of bridging the gap between research and practice.

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Learning From Our Peers: Advice on Organizational Transformation From Those Who Have Done It

RRTC BriefAs more community-based providers of supports and services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) strive to reinvent themselves to offer inclusive opportunities and keep up with Employment First, WIOA, CMS Final Settings Rule, DOJ’s application of Olmstead to employment, and expectations of the ADA generation, organizational leadership may find themselves wondering how to accomplish such a feat. Where’s the finish line? Where’s the starting block?

The Arc believes that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities belong in the community and have fundamental moral, civil and constitutional rights to be fully included and actively participate in all aspects of society. The Arc is pleased to be working toward finding and sharing information to support its chapters on their journeys toward community employment with leading employment researchers as a sub-grantee of the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Advancing Employment for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, a project of ThinkWork! at the Institute for Community Inclusion at University of Massachusetts – Boston on a five-year National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) grant aimed at employment of people with IDD. As part of this collaboration, staff from The Arc co-conducted interviews with leadership from eight organizations which have transformed their employment service delivery from sheltered work to competitive community employment. A brief sharing advice from those interviews was recently released telling us to Commit. Plan. Engage. Implement.

The next step in this collaboration is an intervention aimed at service providers to aide them in transforming their sheltered workshop models to community-based employment programs. This intervention will provide best practice information and other resources to service providers via a comprehensive toolkit.

We are currently looking for chapters to participate in our intervention pilot this summer. The pilot will be six weeks in duration and will consist of reviewing the toolkit, preliminary planning and implementation of pertinent best practices, and providing feedback to The Arc national staff to ensure that the final version of the toolkit is useful and will best support organizations with implementing the conversion process. If you are interested in learning more or participating in the pilot process, please contact Jonathan Lucus, Director of The Arc@Work at: lucus@thearc.org or at 202.534.3706.

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The Timeline Has Changed, But Threats to People With Disabilities in Senate Health Care Reform Efforts Remain

Washington, DC – The Arc released the following statement as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell pulls the Better Care Reconciliation Act, and announces an upcoming vote on a repeal of the Affordable Care Act without an immediate replacement:

“Make no mistake – the Medicaid program and the home and community based supports that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities rely on to live independent lives were on the brink of destruction. As the disability community battled against this effort over the last several months, we have shown our strength, our power, and I thank each and every advocate who has stepped up in this fight.

“This is not over. As Senate Majority Leader McConnell considers his next steps regarding repeal of the Affordable Care Act, we are reminded of the 2015 plan to repeal and not replace the Affordable Care Act. The Congressional Budget Office analysis showed that under that proposal, by 2026, 32 million people would lose health insurance and premiums would double.

“We know there will be further threats in the future, which is why we remain vigilant in our advocacy efforts. Congress is already doubling down on slashing the Medicaid program – today, the House unveiled its budget resolution that includes sweeping changes to Medicaid, Social Security, and Medicare.

“This is going to be a long road, but one that people with disabilities, their family members, support staff, and friends will navigate together. We must unite and reject cuts that will take away the dignity and independence of people with disabilities. This is the civil rights fight of our time, and we will remain vigilant to protect all that has been built to ensure the inclusion and equality of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in our society,” said Peter Berns, CEO, The Arc.

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Medicaid Matters to Me Letter Writing Campaign Deadline Extended!

The Senate is set to vote soon on the latest version of the Better Care Reconciliation Act. The latest revisions to the bill do NOT change the devastating cuts to the Medicaid program that over 10 million people with disabilities rely on to live and work in their communities. The time is now to take action and tell your Senators why Medicaid Matters to You and Your Family

Take a few moments to write a brief message about how Medicaid impacts your life. Please send those messages in the body of an email to Nicole Jorwic at The Arc of the United States: jorwic@thearc.org. PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR STATE IN THE SUBJECT LINE OF THE EMAIL. We will hand deliver all the printed messages to the Senators from your states this week. So please act fast, e-mails must be received by midnight on Wednesday, July 19 to be printed.

We want to show strong support for Medicaid from all over the nation, but we are particularly looking for letters from the following states:

  • Nevada
  • West Virginia
  • Alaska
  • Louisiana
  • Ohio
  • Arizona
  • North Dakota
  • Kansas
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The Arc Warns that the Senate Republican Health Care Legislation Continues to Pose a Severe Threat to People with Disabilities

Washington, DC – The Arc released the following statement following the release of the updated Senate Republicans’ health care legislation discussion draft:

“A new draft, new talking points, same devastating impact on people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It is disheartening to know that Senators were in their districts for the last week, yet the pleas of their constituents with disabilities have been ignored with the latest draft of this legislation. This response to the extensive and impressive outreach from the disability community is an insult to people with disabilities and their families.

“The Better Care Reconciliation Act is an assault on people with disabilities and we implore Senators to do the right thing and oppose this bill. A vote in favor of this bill is a vote against the progress of the disability rights movement and constituents who rely on Medicaid for their independence,” said Peter Berns, CEO of The Arc.

On June 22, 2017, the Senate Budget Committee released a discussion draft of health care reform legislation, the “Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017” (“Senate bill”). The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released an analysis of the cost of the bill and the impact on health care coverage. CBO found that at least 22 million fewer individuals would have health care coverage by 2026. CBO also found that the Senate bill cuts Medicaid by $772 billion over 10 years, but the most severe cuts do not begin to take effect until 2025. Starting in 2025, the cuts are billions more than the cuts in the House bill and would increase significantly over time. CBO found that, compared to current law, Medicaid would decrease by 35% in 2036.

The current discussion draft from the Senate did include a woefully inadequate home and community based four-year demonstration program for rural states.  A total of $8 billion is available over four years.  In contrast, the discussion draft retains the $19 billion dollar cut made to the Community First Choice Option which is a program available to any state that chooses the option with no end date.
The Arc advocates for and serves people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), including Down syndrome, autism, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, cerebral palsy and other diagnoses. The Arc has a network of over 650 chapters across the country promoting and protecting the human rights of people with IDD and actively supporting their full inclusion and participation in the community throughout their lifetimes and without regard to diagnosis.

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SSI Makes Allowances for Student Finances

By Mary L. Waltari, Esq., Special Needs Alliance

Students with disabilities and their families sometimes worry that the very process of becoming educated—with an important goal being increased economic independence—can reduce SSI (Supplemental Security Income). Probably not. The Social Security Administration wants to encourage self-sufficiency and has guidelines that, in many cases, will enable individuals receiving SSI to continue their education without diminishing monthly payments.

SSI is a monthly cash payment made to eligible individuals with disabilities and, in many cases, it’s fundamental to their financial security. It’s a means-tested benefit, and until a child reaches the age of 18, parental income and assets are evaluated when determining qualification. Since an individual may not have more than $2,000 in “countable assets,” most minors are ineligible. However, once they reach 18, family assets are no longer considered, and many individuals with disabilities begin receiving SSI at that point. At the same time, many of them continue with high school education until the age of 21. Upon graduation, they may attend vocational training or college. While doing so, they may work a part-time job or receive financial aid, including room and board.

Protected Savings

Special needs trusts (SNTs), ABLE accounts and Social Security’s PASS (Plan to Achieve Self-Support) are several ways to set aside money for education, among other things. While these savings tools are regulated differently from one another, they enable funds for eligible individuals with disabilities to be accumulated without affecting means-tested government programs.

Monthly Earnings

Student Earned Income Exclusions (SEIE) take summer or part-time jobs into account by disregarding more income for students than for non-students. To be eligible, individuals must be under 22 and “regularly attending school,” which generally means going to classes for at least one month during the quarter to which SEIE applies for at least:

  • 12 hours weekly for high school students;
  • 12 hours weekly for vocational training;
  • eight hours weekly for college students

There are exceptions for illness, and different rules apply to home schooling and “homebound” students.

It’s useful to compare SSI guidelines for students with those applied to others:

  • Non-Students: SSI doesn’t count the first $65 of monthly earnings and half of the remainder, along with a $20 general income exclusion. What’s left reduces SSI dollar-for-dollar.
  • Students: SSI disregards the first $1,790 of monthly earnings, up to an annual total of $7,200. Earnings over $1,790 per month will then receive the same earned income exclusion and general income exclusion available for non-students, after which earnings reduce SSI dollar-for-dollar.

Financial Aid

Any financial assistance covered by Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 or Bureau of Indian Affairs programs isn’t counted as income, regardless of use. Interest and dividends from unspent funds are also exempt. Pell Grants, Federal Work-Study and Direct Loans are just a few of the covered programs.

But it does matter when and how financial aid and gifts from other sources are spent:

  • There’s no effect on SSI so long as funds are spent on education-related needs within nine months of receipt.
  • Funds set aside for education purposes but ultimately used differently are counted as income at the earlier of two points: in the month they’re spent or the month the individual no longer intends to use the funds for educational purposes
  • Funds that are neither set aside for education nor immediately spent for that purpose are counted as income during the month of receipt and counted as a resource the next month.

Student Housing

Since SSI is intended to pay for food and shelter, non-students have their payments reduced when they receive such in-kind support and maintenance (ISM) from other sources. In such cases, SSI may be cut back by up to one-third of the maximum federal SSI monthly benefit, plus $20.

But if a student receiving SSI resides on campus, with room and board covered by parents or financial aid, other rules apply. The school living arrangements will be considered temporary and not categorized as ISM if:

  • the individual is over 18;
  • will return to their permanent address during holidays, vacations or following graduation;
  • and lived at their permanent address for at least one calendar month prior to attending school.

On the other hand, if the student receives free housing and meals at their permanent residence, ISM applies and SSI will be reduced.

The Social Security Administration recognizes that education can be a gateway to independence for individuals with disabilities. Paying attention to these guidelines can ensure that students aren’t financially penalized for their ambitions.

Mary L. Waltari is a member of the Special Needs Alliance, a national nonprofit dedicated to assisting individuals with disabilities, their families and the professionals who serve them. SNA is partnering with The Arc to provide educational resources, build public awareness and advocate for policies on behalf of people with intellectual/developmental disabilities and their families.

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What Chapters of The Arc Need to Know About Managed Care

By Doug Golub, MediSked President and Co-founder

As an increasing number of states transition individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to managed care, provider agencies are faced with additional complexities to work with Managed Care Organizations (MCOs), including new billing systems, requirements and expectations.

Provider agencies must also ensure that the process of moving to managed care for long term services and supports (LTSS) is based on the principles of self-determination, person-centered planning, and individualized supports. Under the new structure, there are strategies to be utilized to ensure that the benefits available can be translated into a service offering that reflect each individual’s desired outcomes, goals, and lives.

Understanding Managed Care
Managed care is a model of health care delivery that in theory is meant to lower costs and offer budget predictability for states, improve care coordination with providers, and increase quality and outcomes for individuals. Managed care plans are a type of health insurance plan, in which states contract with MCOs and pay a capitated (fixed) payment on a per member per month basis. Capitated Payments can be made on a full or partial basis. “Full capitation” is managed care for all service types (health, welfare, and safety supports) whereas partial capitation may only cover a portion of the Medicaid services offered to individuals.

Under this model, MCOs assume responsibility and accountability for providing coverage of services and improving outcomes for individuals served. Managed care is the predominant delivery system for Medicaid health care services. A large portion of people with IDD rely on Medicaid to live their lives in the community. Some states have made the move to begin including long term services and supports in the managed care system, which they are referred to as Managed Long Term Services and Supports (MLTSS). Several states are using MLTSS to expand home and community based services using different models. Managed care for LTSS is likely to continue to grow.

As of June 2017, more than half of all Medicaid beneficiaries (waiver and non-waiver) receive their health care from MCOs. As illustrated in Figure 1,19 states currently operate MLTSS programs, with three additional states operating MLTSS within a Financial Alignment Initiative demonstration.[1] Only nine states (Arizona, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin) have IDD populations enrolled in managed care as they are typically the last group to be integrated into MCOs.[2]


Figures 1 & 2. [MLTSS Programs[3], MLTSS Program with IDD Populations Enrolled, – 2017]

MLTSS Programs-April 2017MLTSS Programs-IDD Pop


How this Affects Chapters of The Arc

As more states transition to managed care, provider agencies must be aware of how this change will impact them, and be a part of the implementation process at every level from selecting the MCOs to drafting the contracts. Providers must work to:

  • Be engaged in the process as states move to enroll individuals with intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) into MCOs
  • Prevent the disruption of care
  • Examine the benefits available and translate them to service offerings that reflect what individuals they support want and need
Interoperability 101
Interoperability refers to the ability of systems and devices to exchange data. This allows a fuller picture of a person’s health history to improve outcomes, increase transparency and efficiency, and empower individuals.Interoperability

Providers are responsible for providing a unique set of services and supports to individuals that must be integrated into the 360-degree view of the individual. A large part of the managed care delivery system requires interoperability throughout the network – agencies must have access to information technology, billing, and systems operations to make the transition to MLTSS.[4]

This required move to electronic health records (EHRs) will allow for more frequent and timely communication between the individual’s network with the ability to share information about demographics, enrollments, authorizations, claims, and assessments. The top priority, however, must be to increase quality of care – and ensure there is no reduction in the quality of supports for the individuals.

Providers will be essential for reporting on health and wellness of the individual and providing quality data reporting by analyzing patterns of service utilization, integrating Quality Assurance measures and functions, and generating quality management reports.

Supporting the Transition
MediSked’s dedicated team of subject matter experts have experience transitioning providers into a managed care model to ensure organizations meet the expectations and have the ability to be technologically sound and compliant. Over 29% of MediSked clients currently bill to MCOs across nine states and the District of Columbia. MediSked is working to provide care coordination and business intelligence tools to MCOs across the country, including Partners Health Plan, the nation’s first Fully Integrated Duals Advantage (FIDA) designed explicitly for individuals with IDD and those that support them.

The Arc of the U.S. and MediSked are committed to making the changes to managed care as seamless as they can be. MediSked is a sponsor of The Arc’s national programs.


“The Arc of North Carolina has been in a managed care system since 2012. A managed care system is all about the numbers – MediSked solutions provide the ability to capture, quantify, and measure data of what is happening and when it’s happening. Technology is essential to gather the empirical data to track what is going on. If you can measure it, you can change it.”

– John Nash, Executive Director of The Arc of North Carolina

 


[1] National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities, Center for Health Care Strategies. (2017). Demonstrating the Value of Medicaid MLTSS Programs. Retrieved from: https://www.chcs.org/resource/demonstrating-value-medicaid-managed-long-term-services-supports-programs/

[2] Ibid.

[3] National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities. (2017). June 2017 MLTSS Map. Retrieved from: https://nasuad.org/initiatives/managed-long-term-services-and-supports/mltss-map

[4] Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2013). Guidance to States Using 1115 Demonstrations or 1915(b) Waivers for Managed Long Term Services and Supports Programs. Retrieved from: https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid-chip-program-information/by-topics/delivery-systems/downloads/1115-and-1915b-mltss-guidance.pdf